Target recalls 204,000 heavy blankets after two children die of suffocation

Target is recalling about 204,000 weighted blankets sold nationwide after the suffocation deaths of two girls in April, Theer and the U.S. Retail Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday.

A 4 and 6-year-old boy was reportedly trapped in the cover of the Pillowfort blanket and died of suffocation at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, according to a statement released by the CPSC. Target has received four reports of children being trapped after unzipping and climbing into the blanket, including the two deaths. fixed.

Made in China, the blankets were sold exclusively at Target stores and online from December 2018 through September 2022 for $40.

Individuals should immediately stop using the blankets and contact Target for a refund, which will be in the form of a $40 store credit, commission said. In addition, Target is “directly contacting all known buyers to arrange returns,” according to the CPSC.

“This product is deadly, and today’s action to immediately recall the product and offer a refund to consumers is the only acceptable way forward,” CSPC Commissioner Richard Trumka said in a statement.

The six-pound blankets measure 60 inches long and 40 inches wide and have a removable, waterproof, and washable cover. They came in eight prints or colors, including the following:

Consumers must present their receipt to return the blanket.

The target can be contacted online or 800-440-0680 from 7 am to 10 pm Central Time to obtain a prepaid return label to return blankets by mail. The blankets can also be returned at any Target store.