Burn Injuries To Infants Prompt Recall Of Infant Heating Pads

PRODUCT: Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc.'s "Safe Heating Pad for Babies," "Snooze Zoo Instant Heating Pad for Babies," and "Snoopy Safe Heating Pad for Babies."

PROBLEM: If the pad is placed on an infant immediately after the pad is put in boiling water or removed from a microwave oven, it may leak hot fluid onto the infant or cause a thermal contact burn.

WHAT TO DO: Return the product to Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc. for replacement with a "Tub Buddie Puppet Wash Cloth." Call 1-800-888-1495 for more information.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc., of Rapid City, SD, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is voluntarily recalling approximately 40,000 infant heating pads. These heating pads were sold under the names "Snoopy Safe Heating Pad for Babies," "Safe Heating Pad for Babies," and "Snooze Zoo Instant Heating Pad for Babies." Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc. received reports of more than nine burn injuries to infants. The problem was discovered as a result of consumer complaints. The heating pads sold for approximately $15 to $20.

The heating pad is a sealed plastic pouch containing sodium acetate solution. The pad is supposed to be heated by flexing a self- contained metal disk inside the pad, thereby causing crystallization. After the pad is used, it cools. A consumer must then heat the pad in boiling water or a microwave oven to return the crystals to the liquid form. Then the pad is left to cool to room temperature so it can again be heated by flexing the metal disk. However, if the pad is placed on an infant immediately after the pad is removed from boiling water or a microwave oven, it may cause a contact burn to the infant's skin or may leak hot sodium acetate solution onto the infant.

The recalled heating pads were distributed nationwide from November 1988 to March 1992.

Consumers should return these heating pads to Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc. for replacement with an infant's item of equal value called the "Tub Buddie Puppet Wash Cloth." For more information, consumers may contact Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc. toll free at 1-800-888-1495, or may write: Dragons Are Too Seldom, Inc., P.O. Box 8046, Rapid City, SD 57709-8046.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing this voluntary recall as part of its mission to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury and death associated with consumer products. The Commission's objective is to reduce the estimated 28.5 million injuries and 21,600 deaths associated each year with the 15,000 different types of consumer products under CPSC's jurisdiction.