You’ve probably seen baby slings everywhere because even men are wearing them now. They’re shoulder strapped baby slings and in the last decade they’ve become big business. They come in everything from a simple piece of strong cloth to a fleece lined papoose style sling bag. As the popularity has risen there have been some horrible flaws found in what seems like a simple baby hammock. Babies are suffocating in them.

The Consumer Product and Safety Commission issued a warning today cautioning parents of the dangers and offered some suggestions on how to properly carry the baby.

Defective Product?

The CPSC has confirmed only seven infants that have died suffocated in baby slings in the last 11 years, but the agency cautions the number could potentially be much higher.

The commission warning cites, “Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.”

The consumer agency Consumer Reports cited that at least 37 other children have suffered serious personal injuries, including skull fractures, while either being carried in or falling out of the baby slings. That information led to a recall of some sling products in 2007.

According to the CSPC warning, “Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two.”

The CPSC warns that additional hazards are, “Where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.”

“A very young infant’s head will be folded forward. That cuts off the airway, and they essentially suffocate,” said CPSC spokesman Don Mays. “Another problem could be if the baby’s head could be nestled up against the carrier’s body.”

Between 2006 and 2008, sales for soft infant carriers rose 43 percent, to more than $21 million but there are no federal safety standards covering sling-type carriers.

Standards of Quality and Usage

In the warning the commission suggested standards be set industry wide for construction and durability. They said that during their investigation of the slings they are working with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to create suggested voluntary standards in the interim.

The commission also pointed out that parents and caregivers should be aware that the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer.

When nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so the baby’s head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother’s body.

They recommend that parents and caregivers should be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling.

They also provided a handy chart recommending position:

Common Sense

The executive director of Kids in Danger (a non-profit group working on product safety issues) Nancy Cowles, told CBS News that the CPSC needs to “look closely” at the brand types of the slings involved in the deaths to see if “there does need to be a specific recall of specific products.”

Cowles pointed out, “It should be noted that women have been using slings for centuries safely to carry their babies.” She went on to say, “With these products, you need to make sure you’re using one that’s been recommended to you, that they have adequate safety information, either on their Web site or that comes with the product, and that you check with someone and that you see what your baby’s position is in it at all times, not just when you first put them in it, to make sure that it’s going to be something that will keep them in a safe position.”

Essentially she gives the commonsense suggestion that people constantly monitor the position of their baby regardless of whether the baby is asleep or not. It is specifically in this resting position that they are most at risk.

Cowles suggested that parents wait to use them until a baby is several weeks old and has more control of his or her head.

Defective Product Litigation

CBS News reported today on the warning and interviewed Lisa Cochran, whose week-old infant suddenly stopped breathing as he rested quietly against her in May in a bag-style sling, made by Infantino. He ended up dying of suffocation.

She told CBS that, “(Such devices were) highly recommended especially for breast-feeding mothers and mothers in general.” She went on to say in the report, “(They) kept (the infants) close to your heart, so they could hear your heart beat.”

Cochran, of Keizer, Ore., and who is pregnant again, says, “I, as a first-time mom, had no clue I could walk into a store and pick something off the shelf that wasn’t safe.”

She is suing the Infantino.

Infanto has issued a statement regarding the lawsuit saying, “While Infantino believes that its Slingrider baby sling is a safe product, the company is working with the CPSC to address the agency’s concerns and those of any parents and caregivers.”

The CPSC has another suggestion, “Don’t use slings at all,” Mays recommends. “There are safer ways of carrying your baby than in a sling.”

If you or a loved one have had a child that has been seriously injured or killed by a defective baby sling, it is important that you have legal council with a proven record of success in defective product litigation. Call Phillips Webster for a consultation on your legal options.

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• Personal Injury
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