Science- Target recalled more than 200,000 weighted blankets that may be unsafe for children.
- Two young girls were trapped inside a blanket's removable cover and died of suffocation.
Target has recalled 204,000 Pillowfort weighted blankets after two children died from suffocating inside the cover of one such blanket.
A 4-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl unzipped the blanket's cover and climbed inside, where they got stuck and died of asphyxia, according to a recent recall notice shared by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The incident occurred at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in April 2022.
Target has received two additional reports of children who got trapped inside the same model of weighted blanket that was involved in the deaths, according to the recall notice.
Both CPSC and Target are urging consumers to stop using the recalled blankets immediately. Target is also contacting all known purchasers of the blankets, which were sold in stores nationwide and online between December 2018 and September 2022.
The blankets weigh six pounds apiece and were made in China, according to the recall notice. They measure 60 inches long and 40 inches wide, and the removable cover comes in eight different prints and colors.
Most weighted blankets are intended for use by teens and adults, as they may not be safe for small children. According to the Sleep Foundation, weighted blankets are typically considered safe for kids who weigh more than 50 pounds and are over 3 years of age, as long as the blanket is an appropriate size and weight.
In a description of a similar product that has not been recalled, Target warns: "For your little one's safety, ensure the blanket's weight does not exceed 10% of their body weight."
"We send our deepest condolences and support to the family that lost their loved ones," Joe Unger, a spokesperson for Target, wrote in an email to Insider. "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."
Customers who purchased the weighted blankets should immediately stop using them and return them to Target for a full refund, he added.