Whether you call it a binkie, dummy or paci, if your kid loves their pacifier, then odds are very good that you've got a bunch of different brands on hand, plus the clips and tethers that keep them close to your baby and prevent them from falling into the muck and mire as you go about your day.
If one of the brands of pacifier and clip you have on hand is the Munchkin Latch with lightweight pacifier and clip, then you need to know that the company has issued a voluntary recall of the popular pacifier, and it's pretty big: It will affect 180,000 of them. Here's everything else you need to know about the recall.
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1. The recall is due to our old friend the choking hazard
Specifically, there's a little plastic cover that goes over the clip itself, and that piece can fall off, posing a choking hazard to babies who are just learning to stick anything and everything into their mouth. When the company issued the recall, it advised parents to take the paci and clip away from kids immediately.
2. At least 10 complaints were filed with the company before the recall
According to Munchkin, it received five official complaints from American consumers and five from Canadians. A quick search of the Consumer Product Safety Commission report database shows that there was at least one report regarding the Latch pacifiers back in June of 2015, and Munchkin responded to the consumer by thanking her for the feedback and saying, "Analysis of the pacifier clip by our Quality & Engineering team, will be crucial in identifying root cause."
Other complaints on the CPSC's website include a baby getting his finger stuck in one of the small plastic holes, but that issue is not included on the official recall.
3. It affects a certain batch of the product
The recall extends specifically to 0m+ and 6m+ orthodontic Latch pacifiers and clips sold between March of 2014 and March 2016. According to the company, the products affected are as follows:
"The designer pacifiers and clips 0m+ and 6m+ are in three color patterns: blue and white strips, orange and with white polka dots and pink with white polka dots. The rattle pacifiers and clips 0m+ and 6m+ are green with beads in the pacifier cover to make a rattle sound and have a polka dot strap. The heartbeat pacifiers and clips have a red, heart-shaped pacifier cover and red and white polka dots on the strap."
Specifically, these include products with the item numbers MKFE0391, MKFE0392 and MKFE0393, which you can check for on the strap's sewn-in label. The pacifier-and-clip combos were sold at most major retailers (Target, Buy Buy Baby, Amazon.com) as well as through Munchkin's own website, and cost about $11 to $16.
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4. No babies were hurt by the faulty product
This is a voluntary recall that the company explained it decided to do out of "an abundance of caution," and fortunately no kids were hurt or required medical attention. Still, since choking deaths are among one of the leading causes of death for babies and children between the ages of 12 months and 5 years, this is nothing to mess around with, so we're glad it decided to yank the product.
5. Munchkin is issuing a refund or replacement
If you have the pacifier and clip in question, you can call Munchkin for more information on the recall and to request a refund or replacement at 877-242-3134 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
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So give your diaper bags a once-over, and if you happen to have the pacifier and clip in question, be sure to get rid of it right away and get in touch with Munchkin. It's really important that the things we put into our babies mouths don't pose any undue danger to them, so when companies move forward with recalls, we're at least glad to see that they're keeping hazards like this off the market.
Remember, if you ever notice something off about the baby gear you use every day, you can file a report with the Consumer Product Safety Commission by visiting its reporting portal on the agency's webpage or by contacting the manufacturer directly. And it's always a good idea to know how to administer CPR and first aid to babies and children, just in case.