Today, KID released a new report on pacifier hazards. The report analyzed data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that shows that some pacifiers can pose a risk to infants and toddlers.
Pacifiers have a tendency to rip or become lodged while in a child’s mouth, which is a choking and laceration risk. Check your child’s pacifier often and regularly to make sure there are no rips or cracks. In addition, make sure you’re not using a recalled model– Check for recalls on saferproducts.gov or kidsindanger.org.
Pacifiers have a unique combination of being almost ubiquitous yet inherently very risky because they go into a child’s mouth. That makes it extremely important to assure the product meets strong safety guidelines. The CPSC has a standard for pacifier safety, but that standard has not been revised in years.
In addition to steps parents and caregivers can take, KID recommends CPSC take action to improve the safety of pacifiers. These incidents and recalls should lead to a reexamination of the current standard for pacifiers and perhaps point to stronger surveillance to assure only those that meet the standard are reaching the marketplace.
