There has been a lot of stir lately about sling safety.  Since we are a huge proponent of slings, we felt we needed to write a bit about what we have learned from some of our sling manufacturers and share some information we have gathered.

With all things baby, safety is paramount.  The concern that has been a buzz on the Internet and which prompted The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a warning, was for “bag- style” slings.  (See warning here:  http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10165.html) The excessive material where the baby sits creates a deep pouch putting the baby in a dangerous curve-like position.  This position is believed to have lead to some suffocation of young babies.  It is important to note that of the reported suffocation cases, most of the babies were either premature, low birth weight, or had breathing issues.  However, caution of all babies of all ages is critical.

Pouch Slings or Wraps tend to be viewed as safer when used properly and as per the manufacturer’s instructions.  I came across a co-sponsored press release from various sling manufacturers to make people aware of the different types of slings and what makes a sling safer that I wanted to share.  (See report here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/03/prweb3718984.htm).

As of today, there are no industry standards relating to sling manufacture.  As the government and concerned moms and dads look into this more, we will continue to post new information as we get it.  Even though the alert and buzz on the Internet is troubling, it is important to educate yourself, properly use all slings as per instructions and always keep a diligent eye out (like you already do!).