It’s official: Bag slings pose safety hazard

Babywearing advocates have been warning about the dangers of “bag slings” like the Infantino Sling Rider for years now (see my posts here and here, referencing articles written several years back.  Please also see these links for information on proper positioning of your child in a sling or carrier).  The importance of using a sling that properly supports an infant seems obvious, but apparently it takes tragic outcomes for people to really sit up and take notice.  Sigh.  What happened to the families of babies in the Infantino sling is an absolute tragedy and not least because it could have been so easily prevented, had Infantino listened to the warnings of people like M’lis Steltzer, a nurse who made efforts to contact them regarding her concerns about their product.

Now the CPSC is about to issue a warning about “baby slings.”  Let’s hope that they make the proper distinction between slings and carriers that are safe, vs. ones that may not be.  Let’s hope that families who might otherwise have considered babywearing don’t become too scared to try a carrier, and miss out on the fabulous experience of using a sling to bond with their babies.  But most of all, let’s hope that bag slings become a thing of the past!