Target recalled more than 200,000 weighted blankets after two children died of suffocation in North Carolina, federal officials and Target said Thursday.
The girls, ages 4 and 6, died in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, after being trapped in the blankets in April, the U.S. Consumer Protection Commission said in a news release.
Target told buyers of the 6-pound Pillowfort brand blankets to stop using them immediately and contact the store for a refund.
“A small child can fall into a trap if they open the blanket and go in, putting them at risk of dying from suffocation,” says the company.
“We extend our deepest condolences and support to the family who lost loved ones,” a company spokesperson added in an emailed statement. “As soon as we became aware of the situation, we acted quickly and started removing Pillowfort Weighted Blanketts from our range and removed all of those items from sale.”
Target received four reports of children trapped in the 6-pound blankets, including the two deaths, the federal agency said.