I am so happy to see that there are already posts about this ridiculous warning! I'm sad that our tax dollars are wasted employing people to spread fear. Why the headline condemming all slings? Slings have been used since the beginning of time. The one I used with my (now adult) children was truly primitive and surely would have freaked out these so called government experts. Fortunately I knew that I needed to be careful when I used it. How sad that new parents are so vulnerable and afraid to use their own judgement. 'Baby Wearing' is surely responsible for the emotional and physical well-being of WAY more babies and young children the the 7 who were cited in this move to condemn a wonderful parenting style.

I wish this article and others were more specific that the problem is BAG SLINGS. The problem isn't inattentive parents. Rather, it is impossible to adjust slings like the Infantino Sling Rider and Eddie Bauer to safely avoid the chin to chest position and they don't work with the natural body structure of either parent or child. SAFE carriers like ring slings, mei tais (like babyhawk), wraps, and soft structured carriers like the ergo allow the baby to be placed more upright and allow the parent to have constant feedback from the baby. Bag slings don't allow for those kind of adjustments and feedback. Baby wearing is amazing, and I wouldn't trade the hours and hours we have spent wearing our daughter for anything, but unsafe BAG SLINGS need to be pulled from the market. Babies have died when the product was used exactly as specified by attentive parents--the risk is a silent and deadly one.

amy-1672060 wrote "Slings have been used since the beginning of time."

So what? Many child-rearing practices, such as drowning unwanted children, beating them while eliminating effective discipline through spanking, selling children, employing children, etc. Even swaddling is a remnant of the ages in which it was more convenient to silence a child.

Hey, I'm a father of two. The sling in the picture is a dumb design. There are others that work, and I welcome some scrutiny so that I do not have to waste money on worthless baby products. We rely on reviews for washing machines and cell phones. Why not baby products? The choices are dazzling and daunting, and most of these baby products are completely not necessary.

I beg to differ on your comment about swaddling. There is evidence that very young babies (newborns in particular) prefer to be swaddled b/c it mimics the environment in the mother's womb.

There are plenty of risks to your new baby that are way more important than this. Save your fears for things that are actually likely to injure your child. In other words, don't spend a lot of your time obsessing over minute risks when there are plenty of high risk actions that you probably won't think twice about.

true, there are other risks, but if I can minimize one of them....I'm happy!

I was in the store and was just thinking to myself that i didn't think the baby would be comfortable in one of the 'slings'...

I understand that one should pay more attention, but if you're used to your baby being sleep and not moving for a certain amount of time, you probably would not look down as often. A baby can sufficate in minutes...

babies are very comfortable in the sling since it mimics the feeling and shape of the womb. Parents tend to think that babies will be comfortable positioned how adults are comfortable, which is not true for newborns. They love being bunched up close to mom. Sling safety is actually incredibly easy.. just glance down and baby is fine. I never had a problem letting time slip away and not seeing what the baby was doing.. my baby was properly adjusted in the sling and I saw their faces every few seconds without even trying to check... they just sort of stay in your peripheral vision if you wear the sling high enough.

You can use a sling with no problem. The problem is the INFANTINO SLINGRIDER. It causes suffocation, not to mention how extremely uncomfortable it is for mom to wear. Look into SleepingBabyProductions.net, Mayawrap.com, Ergobabycarrier.com, becobabycarrier.com for some GOOD and COMFORTABLE baby carriers.

Thanks Carrie!

really, why? check out the Moby wrap. If you are a first time mom, you are going to be overwhelmed with the demands of a new baby and your old life. The Moby is a lifesaver, and every mom who owns one will tell you. The baby fits snuggly, and you can look down and right on your chest is your baby, they move and wiggle and breathe and you can feel it all, there's no way you wouldn't notice your baby suffocating. And it gives you both of your hands during shopping and chores and keeps the baby gently rocked so you have less worry of a screaming unhappy baby while you're trying to do other things. Like Carrie said, it's all about that specific brand, there are a lot of other types of slings, ring slings, wraps, pockets, mei tais, that are based off how women have been carrying babies for hundreds of years and not a mass produced piece of crap trying to get in on the babywearing action.

Glad to help. An even better site I should have mentioned is www.thebabywearer.com which has a HUGE selection of baby carriers that you can look through, research, watch videos of, etc., to choose what will work best for you. The site also goes into great detail about WHY certain carriers are unsafe or not recommended, what stage is best for what type, etc.

Please don't let these idiots scare you. It's not in any shape or form unsafe to carry your baby in a sling. If you are a neglectful, unattentive parent who doesn't care about their child, then I wouldn't recommend having children in the first place. The reason the sling was invented was the fact that it reminds the child of being in the womb. the babies who have suffocated from the use of these is purely the parents fault, not the design of the sling. Its funny how every time something bad happens as a result of misuse of a product, people immediately turn around and blame someone else for it even though it was the result of their own neglect. This is America. People sue for the most ridiculous things. there are more and more dumb people in the US now more than ever especially when stupid celebrities can make more money than someone with a more honorable job, like say a Doctor? yea.

Don't be afraid of wearing your baby. Just be smart about it. Baby wraps are the best thing that could have happened to both mommies and babies in this day and age. Wraps help your back and keep baby happy and close to you. They truly are incredible. Don't miss out because of one really bad design. If you want to learn more about wraps visit my website at http://migowrap.web.officelive.com

Congratulations on the coming birth of your child. Embrace motherhood...wear your baby!

The Infantino Slingrider is the problem. There are many other slings that are perfectly safe and insanely more comfortable. I'm glad you returned that ridiculous Slingrider! One less risk of a baby death.

No!

You may have had a lousy carrier. But even if you didn't, not everyone likes it and not every baby likes it. Do what works for you. :)

It was 12 years ago, so I don't even remember what type it was. As I said, "I don't even remember seeing a single person using a sling, ever"...Must be some new 'craze', However, my sister in law had my niece two years ago and she didn't use one either...*shrugs shoulders, again*

Thanks, I've learned long ago to do what works for me, I'm much happier that way...:)

While I agree that holding / touching / interacting with a baby is important, I do have to say that baby-wearing / carrying 100% of the time is not necessary for bonding or creating a loving and secure child.

I never used a sling or carrier of any sort. My daughter was in her stroller while we were out and a baby papasan chair while we were at home (I work from home, so she'd sit on the papasan on my bed while I sat at my desk). Now please don't mistake me, I DID hold her and carry her and love on her. But nowhere near close to 100% of the time. Not even 60% of the time probably. She also slept in her own bassinet / crib from the get-go. And at four, she's secure, loving, happy and intelligent.

I think like with anything in this world, user-error is to blame as much as anything else. However, I can imagine with a sling it can be easy to assume your child is sleeping, and get focused on something else (a conversation, a book, browsing a clothing rack, whatever) and not notice your child suffocating. I think a warning is definitely merited because some people are just too dopey to take it seriously if it's anything less than a big warning. But each person will have to decide for themselves if they're comfortable with using a sling.

But let's not turn this into "if you use a sling you're a baby killer" and "if you don't use a sling your child will not bond to you and will be sad". (not saying the person I'm replying to did this - but I can see the conversation deteriorating, that's all I mean)

The problem is THIS SLING. It's not user error, it's manufacturer error. (Oh, what I would rather say about it....)

As for your other point of not turning this into a who-parents-better, I agree. Truly, to each their own. You have to do what works for your family.

I just want to chime in and say that "babywearing" does not mean carrying your child 100% of the time or even 60% of the time. Babywearers use slings and other carriers as parenting tools to help them soothe their children, be close to their children, and to accomplish things that you can't do as easily while holding a baby. Having baby close (in arms or in a sling) is undeniably a wonderful way to bond. But that is not the only reason to use a sling. It is a convenience that allows you do many things while also being attentive to your baby. For centuries (and longer) It has enabled woman in places like Indonesia to continue working hard, but take care of their baby because while baby is tied close to them in the traditional selendang. There are so many other cultures that have relied on "babywearing" for longer than recorded history.

I would be confident in saying you will not find even one self proclaimed "babywearer" who "wears" 100% of the time. Even if you only use your sling in the grocery store to ease your shopping experience and keep baby out of that nasty germ infested cart, you are a baby wearer (as defined by babywearers) even if you don't know it! You (general you) understand the benefit of a sling as a tool to help you through the day. Or perhaps you don't need the sling because your baby is perfectly happy playing on the floor when you need to be getting something done, or sitting happily in the swing. Fine, then it's a tool that you can live without. And that is fine too. That is what it is all about.

Personally, having and knowing how to use a sling has made me a much better parent. It's a tool I wouldn't not want to do without.

Stay away from BAG SLINGS. There are plenty of other options that are safe, attractive, and comfortable.

This is a problem precisely because it is impossible to adjust slings like the Infantino Sling Rider and Eddie Bauer to safely avoid the chin to chest position and they don't work with the natural body structure of either parent or child. SAFE carriers like ring slings, mei tais (like babyhawk), wraps, and soft structured carriers like the ergo allow the baby to be placed more upright and allow the parent to have constant feedback from the baby. Bag slings don't allow for those kind of adjustments and feedback.

oh, the sling that I used was from Balboa Baby (you can find it on the Dr. Sears website) and is made of super light material (feels much like linen), so it was ideal for the baby not getting too warm (in appropriate normal indoor type temperatures). Loved it.. super easy to adjust and I could still use it when he was over a year old, I just slung it down by my hip and he sat in it on my side. My back didn't hurt either!

These sorts of slings which can be adjusted aren't the problem---it's bag slings like the Infantino Sling Rider and Eddie Bauer b/c there is no way to safely adjust the carrier. The Balboa isn't as adjustable as I might like, but it is still possible to avoid the chin to chest position that poses the risk with careful placement. With the bag slings, there is no way to avoid that position.

I have to agree with you. I had a cloth sling, which had no warnings on it, but I too was concerned about the ability of my son to breathe, and NO, I am not an inattentive mother. I had an upright sling, and my son and I both LOVED it. He is now school aged, and he still loves to cuddle. I am glad I followed my own instincts!

Well said. I'm also an avid babywearer and have done insane amounts of research and experimenting to find the right kind of carriers. The Bag Sling, in my opinion, should be called the Death Sling.

This warning is about bag slings, not co-sleeping. Not all people who use slings are co-sleepers. Completely different and unrelated topic.

I'm trying to remember not to feed the ignorant troll... *eyes rolling*

edit: www.thebabywearer.com

must need more coffee! ;)

I agree with unknown make an educated decision and use some common sense. The origianl article is chosen to bring awareness and warn parents of the bag like sling. I do think the article is a little too generalized. Not all slings are equal, you should find one for your body type and your baby size. This is not a new "greenie" idea Kate. Slings have been around forever. People shouldnt abolish the idea of a sling just because some poor designs are out. This is just like all the crib recalls, because some babys died that doesnt mean all cribs are bad, the parents are bad or you shouldnt put your kid in one, like the sling if yours wasnt recalled you should just take the extra precaution to make sure yours is safe and provide extra monitoring. Not everything works for everybody but my jellybean sling is a lifesaver to me. Every baby item has its risks.