Almost two weeks after the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about using baby slings for infants under 4 months old, baby sling manufacturer Infantino is voluntarily recalling more than a million of its slings. The CPSC says that three babies suffocated in the slings last year, and CPSC chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum previously said that a baby could suffocate "in a matter of minutes."
The two models are the Infantino "SlingRider" and "Wendy Bellissimo." The CSPC says that the babies who died were a 7-week-old, a 6-day-old and a 3-month-old. The agency warned on March 12, "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. Additionally, 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."
Infantino, whose slings are sold at major chains like Target, Wal-Mart, and Babies R Us, is offering free replacements. Consumer Reports, which had raised concerns about the Infantino slings before the third baby's death, says it's trying to help develop safety standards for slings, "In the meantime, we think there are safer ways to carry your infant such as with soft front-carriers that keep the infant upright and visible yet still allow parents to 'wear' their baby." (Some people feel that wearing their babies is less "psychologically detrimental" to them than, say, putting them in a stroller.)
