Recall Issued Over Defective Infant Pacifiers

Pacifiers fall short of federal standards for safety, create choking hazard

Fred & Friends of Cumberland, Rhode Island, makers of baby accessories and supplies, has issued a recall on three of its infant pacifier models. According to reports, these items do not meet federal safety standards and are capable of creating a hazard that could result in injury or death. Two of the affected models - the Artiste and the Volume each have small parts that can detach and create a choking hazard for infants. A third model called Panic has ventilation holes on its pacifier guard that are to small. The same issue has been cited for the Volume model as well.

The Artiste features a black plastic mustache and beard with a UPC code of 728987021282. The Volume has a black volume control knob and a UPC code of 728987020599. The Panic has a red panic button and a UPC code of 728987020605. The construction of each is silicone rubber and plastic. Each model measures about 2 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall.

So far there has been only one report of a part detaching from one of these pacifiers. There have been no injuries to date. The recall covers almost 200,000 units with the majority distributed throughout the United States.

Affected units were sold via department stores, gift shops, drugstores, toy retailers, baby product retailers, grocery stores and home decorating stores as well as through hospital and museum gift shops throughout the United States. They are also available online through various websites. They were sold between April 2013 and December 2013. They retailed for about $10.

Consumers who have purchased any of these models should take them away from their children immediately and contact the manufacturer directly for a refund. Fred & Friends can be reached at 855-346-6372, via email at pacifiersconsumer@fredandfriends.com, and at their website fredandfriends.com. There is a link on the homepage to information on the pacifier recall.

"Any recall that involves babies is of particular concern and importance to us," said Drazen Alcocer, founder and CEO of iFederated, parent company of the iRecalls.com social network.

"This is certainly a huge reason why we decided to start iRecalls.com," added Artin Afsharjavan, iFederated Chairman. "The faster this sort of information hits the Web, the better. iRecalls.com is well-positioned as a voice for the entire online community in situations like these. We have many dedicated members who diligently share and spread information about product recalls and that is a formula for safety, especially for little ones."

iRecalls.com is currently accepting new members. To become part of this rapidly growing social network of concerned citizens, the public is encouraged to visit the site at http://www.irecalls.com and create a free account.