Target recalls over 200,000 weighted blankets after 2 children died

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Target recalled about 204,000 weighted blankets after federal regulators reported two deaths from asphyxiation earlier this year.
• Young children are reportedly prone to becoming entrapped and suffocated in the blankets.
• Consumers are instructed to return the blankets for a refund.

Around 204,000 weighted blankets have been recalled from Target after two children died of asphyxiation earlier this year.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), children are at risk of asphyxiation by becoming trapped inside the blanket when unzipping and entering it.

Two young girls, ages 4 and 6, were reportedly entrapped in the blankets at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in April. They died of asphyxiation.

There were two other reports of children becoming entrapped in the blankets, CPSC stated.

The $40 Pillowfort weighted blankets are manufactured in China. They measure 60 inches long and 40 inches wide, and weigh six pounds. They were sold online and in Target stores nationwide from December 2018 through September 2022.

The blankets come in eight colors or prints, with covers that are waterproof, removable, and washable.

The affected blankets have the following fabric tags attached to their covers:

• Unicorn – White: 097-02-0140 
• Space Navy: 097-02-0148
• Pink: 097-02-0361
• Blue: 097-02-0363
• Gray: 097-02-0364
• Buffalo Plaid – Red: 097-02-1603
• Blue Constellation: 097-02-3904
• Unicorn – Pink: 097-02-3905

Target and the CPSC warned consumers who purchased the blankets to stop using them and to contact the retailer for a $40 in Target credit.

The contact hotline at 800-440-0680 is available daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Customers will be given a prepaid return label so they can return the blankets at any Target location or by mail.

Target told USA TODAY that it has been informing known customers about the blanket.

The retailer’s statement read, “We send our deepest condolences and support to the family that lost their loved ones. As soon as we became aware of the situation, we acted quickly to begin removing Pillowfort Weighted Blankets from our assortment and have pulled all of these items from sale.”

“If a guest owns any of these products, they should immediately stop using them and return them to Target for a full refund,” the company added.

Source: USA Today