Target recalls more than 200,000 children’s weighted blankets after 2 girls die

Target has recalled about 204,000 of its weighted blankets after two young girls reportedly became entrapped in one and died from asphyxiation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

The Pillowfort weighted blanket for children poses a risk of such deaths because a child can “become entrapped by unzipping and entering the blanket,” the agency said.

The agency and Target are encouraging customers to stop using the blankets immediately and contact the department store chain for a refund. The blankets, which weigh 6 pounds and are 60 inches long and 40 inches wide, come in eight colors and patterns, and have a removable, waterproof, washable cover.

In April, a 4 year-old girl and a 6 year-old girl in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who were related reportedly got trapped in the cover of a weighted blanket and died, the agency said. Target also received four other reports of children becoming entrapped in the weighted blankets.

The blankets, which were sold nationwide and online, were exclusively sold at Target from December 2018 to September 2022 for $40.

Joe Unger, a Target spokesperson, said that the company acted swiftly once it was alerted to the issues with the weighted blankets to remove them from the market.

“We send our deepest condolences and support to the family that lost their loved ones,” Unger said in an emailed statement. “In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the product manufacturer, we are also initiating a full product recall and are in the process of alerting consumers.”

The item numbers for the blankets that have been recalled, printed on the fabric tab attached to the removable blanket cover, are:

— 097-02-0140, Unicorn White

— 097-02-0148, Space Navy

— 097-02-0361, Pink

— 097-02-0363, Blue

— 097-02-0364, Gray

— 097-02-1603, Buffalo Plaid — Red

— 097-02-3904, Blue Constellation

— 097-02-3905, Unicorn — Pink