Target is recalling more than 200,000 children’s weighted blankets after two fatalities were reported in North Carolina earlier this year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
At the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in April, two young girls, ages 4 and 6, are said to have become entangled in the weighted blanket’s cover and died from asphyxiation.
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In a recall notice for Pillowfort weighted blankets published on Thursday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said that “a young child can become entrapped by unzipping and entering the blanket, posing a risk of death by asphyxiation.”
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Between December 2018 until September 2022, Target shops all around the US and online sold the blankets for about $40. They have a cover, measure 60 by 40 inches, and weigh six pounds. The eight prints and colours of the recalled blankets were “blue constellation, buffalo plaid red, unicorn pink, space navy, pink, blue, and grey.”
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“We send our deepest condolences and support to the family that lost their loved ones,” the company said in a statement. “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,” the statement further read.
Young children risk getting trapped inside by unzipping the cover and crawling inside.
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Consumers are being urged by the federal government and Target to cease using the weighted blankets right away and to get in touch with Target for a refund.