More than 1 million baby slings recalled. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising that babies under 4 months old should stop using these slings immediately. There have been 3 infant deaths due to suffocation in the soft fabric. Especially at risk are babies who had a low birth weight, were born prematurely or had breathing problems such as colds. There are 2 possible scenarios for the cause of death:
-A 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.
-The other scenario involves slings where the baby is cradled in a curved or “C-like” position, nestling the baby below the mother’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,” warned the commission.
This only relates to “bag” slings, i.e. the slings that are like a purse, with the infant dangling low as opposed to be snug up against the person carrying. Here’s a great explanation for babywearing safety. http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf