On January 30, 2014, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Fred & Friends of Cumberland, Rhode Island, announced the voluntary recall of the popular infant pacifiers due to choking hazard. It is reported that the pacifiers failed to meet federal safety standards.
This recall involves three styles of Fred & Friends baby pacifiers, including the Artiste with a black plastic beard and mustache, Volume with a black volume control knob and Panic with a red panic button. The beard on the Artiste pacifier and the knob on the Volume pacifier can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. The ventilation holes on the Volume pacifier and the Panic pacifier are also too small. These pacifiers are plastic and silicone rubber and measure about 2 inches wide and 1½ inches tall.
These pacifiers have been sold at department stores, gift, drug, toy, baby product, grocery and home decorating stores, and hospital, museum gift shops nationwide, as well as various websites. These pacifiers were sold between April 2013 and December 2013 at an approximate sale price of $10.
The pacifier’s name and UPC are printed on the packaging. The Artiste’s UPC is 728987021282, the Volume style’s UPC is 728987020599 and the Panic style’s UPC is 728987020605.
Consumers are urged to immediately stop using any affected baby pacifier, and to contact Fred & Friends toll-free at (855)-346-6372 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.fredandfriends.com. Consumers are also encouraged to return the affected pacifiers to Fred & Friends for a $12 refund.
As a parent, child safety advocate and trial lawyer, I am continually troubled by the fact that manufacturers continue to sell products that endanger the lives of children. Manufacturers, in their zeal to get products on the market, often cut corners and overlook safety when designing and manufacturing products. Manufacturers have an obligation and opportunity to thoroughly assess product safety before the launch of a product. It should not take a child getting injured for a manufacturer to make a product safe.
The Quinn Law Group, LLC, is a preeminent personal injury law firm with offices conveniently located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous product or through the fault of another, please contact Sean E. Quinn for a free, no-obligation consultation. We are Your Voice. Your Advocate.