Choking Hazard Prompts Pacifier Recall

January 2008

The very item often used to comfort your child may in fact pose a serious threat, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Shims Bargain, Inc. has recalled 45,000 of their “BabyTown” pacifiers due to the choking hazard they present to infants.

The pacifiers do not meet federal safety standards because their shield is too small and the pacifiers can easily enter infants’ mouths. The product’s ventilation holes are inadequately sized and do not allow for the insertion of a removal tool if the pacifier becomes lodged in the mouth of a child. In addition, the package does not display the mandatory warning instructing consumers not to tie a pacifier around a child’s neck, in turn presenting a strangulation hazard.

The four-pack of pacifiers was sold at dollar stores nationwide from March 2004 through December 2007. “BabyTown” and model number 39864 are printed on the product’s packaging.