CPSC Issues Warning for Baby Sling Infant Carriers

Washington, DC: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a product safety warning today advising parents to be cautious when using infant sling carriers for babies younger than four months. The CPSC has investigated at least 13 deaths that have been associated with sling-style carriers over the past twenty years; three of the deaths occurred last year.

According to the CPSC, infant slings can pose a suffocation hazard in two ways:

- An infant sling's fabric can press against a baby's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and suffocating a baby within a minute or two.

- When an infant is carried in the sling, the baby can be cradled in a curved or "C-like" position, nestling the baby below mom's chest or near her belly. That curved position can cause a baby who doesn't have strong neck control to flop its head forward, chin-to-chest, restricting the infant's ability to breathe. "The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate," said the commission's warning.

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Last updated on Mar-22-10