April 2007
Pacifier safety
To prevent choking, the Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that pacifiers be able to pass a "pull test" after being
boiled and cooled six times.
The pacifier must not come apart if the nipple is pulled away from the guard in any direction with a force of 10 pounds. The handle or ring must pass the same test. To verify that the pacifier's shield will not suffocate a child, CPSC requires that it pass a different pull test. With the pacifier placed in a test fixture, the nipple is pulled at a force of 2 pounds, which is held for 10 seconds. If the shield pulls completely through the test fixture, the pacifier fails.
Pacifiers sold with a ribbon, cord, string, yarn, or similar attachment must be labeled with this warning: "Do Not Tie Pacifier Around Child's Neck as It Presents a Strangulation Danger." Pacifiers have a tendency to gravitate to the floor or disappear when you need them most. Still, no matter how frustrated you get, take that warning seriously. Each year, the CPSC receives reports of infants strangling on pacifier cords or ribbons tied around their necks. A baby can catch a pacifier cord on crib posts, doorknobs, and many other objects when you're not looking. It takes only a second for a serious accident to occur.
The pacifier must not come apart if the nipple is pulled away from the guard in any direction with a force of 10 pounds. The handle or ring must pass the same test. To verify that the pacifier's shield will not suffocate a child, CPSC requires that it pass a different pull test. With the pacifier placed in a test fixture, the nipple is pulled at a force of 2 pounds, which is held for 10 seconds. If the shield pulls completely through the test fixture, the pacifier fails.
Pacifiers sold with a ribbon, cord, string, yarn, or similar attachment must be labeled with this warning: "Do Not Tie Pacifier Around Child's Neck as It Presents a Strangulation Danger." Pacifiers have a tendency to gravitate to the floor or disappear when you need them most. Still, no matter how frustrated you get, take that warning seriously. Each year, the CPSC receives reports of infants strangling on pacifier cords or ribbons tied around their necks. A baby can catch a pacifier cord on crib posts, doorknobs, and many other objects when you're not looking. It takes only a second for a serious accident to occur.
