Another sling recall! :(

[tribalmax]

Oh man -- so this baby died in 2007 and they are just now recalling the sling? I don't know -- but it kind of seems like they are going after slings right now!

So sad...

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10254.html

[strawberryprincess]

It's hard to tell from that report if it was the sling's fault or the user's. I think any sling or carrier could be a potential hazard if used incorrectly...but so can nearly all baby products...or all consumer products for that matter. There are all sorts of crazy warning labels on things. My Maya Wrap has a warning label on it, and I bought that 6 years ago.

but i agree it's sad that slings are getting a bad press right now.

[Kristine233]

My guess is incorrect positioning. Another reason why babywearing education needs to be more widespread and available. Also, many small manufacturers don't include instructions and the proper warnings about positional asphyxiation.

[northcountrymamma]

I have to say this really frustrates me...
A user error has to be the likely reason...it's a sling for goodness sakes, what could have been manufactured wrong?

I can't believe all these recalls lately. They are so irritating.
A simple ring sling, think about how many of these are out there that look just like this one.
Brutal.

[tribalmax]

Originally Posted by northcountrymamma

I have to say this really frustrates me...
A user error has to be the likely reason...it's a sling for goodness sakes, what could have been manufactured wrong?

I can't believe all these recalls lately. They are so irritating.
A simple ring sling, think about how many of these are out there that look just like this one.
Brutal.

I know -- that is what really bugs me. This is a normal ring sling. I see these all the time! (I am not a ring sling person myself) Slings got a bad rap from the first recall -- but now this recall -- a generic looking ring sling!

So sad -- and I really can't help but thinking that the timing of the recall is suspicious!

[Mommy2Austin]

Originally Posted by tribalmax

I know -- that is what really bugs me. This is a normal ring sling. I see these all the time! (I am not a ring sling person myself) Slings got a bad rap from the first recall -- but now this recall -- a generic looking ring sling!

So sad -- and I really can't help but thinking that the timing of the recall is suspicious!

It is sad.

Because you see cribs with recalls ALL the time and yet they still get used like nothing's ever happened. Its "Oh we just have to buy a better crib." With the baby carriers its "Baby carriers are of the DEVIL! Beware!!!"

[Comtessa]

Yeah, and there's actually nothing wrong with the sling that's being recalled -- it's nothing more than a basic ring sling. It's totally user error at fault here. The sling company, in this case, just has the bad luck to be the ring sling producer whose sling happened to be used badly. The CPSC web site for the recall also has all sorts of dire warnings about slings in general.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

i've never actually used a ring sling, only ever used a pouch (primaxx baby bag) and baby carriers (Mei tai, ergo, tomy, baby bjorn and mothercare) but i AM going to buy both a ring sling and a wrap when i have another lo the risk is only a risk if the sling is not used properly so i am not concerned something i always made sure with my pouch carrier was that caden's face was never covered not even for a second.

[northcountrymamma]

Originally Posted by beckyand3littlemonsters

i AM going to buy both a ring sling and a wrap when i have another lo the risk is only a risk if the sling is not used properly so i am not concerned something i always made sure with my pouch carrier was that caden's face was never covered not even for a second.

I can't even remember worrying if her face was covered...I'm sure it was at times...but she was literally, right in front of my face, I had constant notice of her breathing and movements. Of course the fabric wasn't bunched up at her face, but in the cold...I'm sure she was covered.

[tanyam926]

I suspect that the death in this case was user error (probably had baby in cradle position, baby hanging loosely down by the waist leading to chin to chest and unable to breath).

It is really frustrating that all slings are made to look evil. Not only is it ignorant but it's also incredibly irresponsible. User education is the key, not scare tactics.

[4Blessings]

I was hoping that the recalls were over because it's gotten so hard to go anywhere without someone telling me that my baby is going to die in her sling. This while she's grabbing things off the store shelves and obviously not in a dangerous position.

It's so sad but as others have said, just about any piece of equipment that you use with a baby can be deadly in one way or another

[morgainesmama]

Any baby death is a tragedy, regardless of the cause.

In the majority of sling deaths, including these, the babies had risk factors that put them in a special category.

My understanding of the baby in this case is that the baby was born prematurely (36 weeks) and had fluid in the lungs. Additionally, the baby presumably had feeding issues as there was a frenulectomy done two days before death.

Infants with compromising conditions such as premature birth, low birthweight, respiratory issues, or medical issues are at a much higher risk of death in all nursery products, including slings, swings, bouncers, cribs, etc.

[Quirky]

ITA that it was most likely improper positioning, perhaps compounded by the baby's apparent physical issues. That said, I think there's been a lot more realization on the part of babywearers in general about the potential not only for terribly designed carriers that are inherently dangerous (see, e.g., Infantino SlingRider) but also about positioning safety for very small babies even in otherwise great carriers. I know that the sling and pouch I bought 8 years ago from two major national manufacturers didn't have position warnings....in fact the pouch was way way too big and I NOW realize in hindsight that my son turned red and screamed because he was slumping so far down in it that it wasn't a safe position for him. I'm fairly sure I never read about safe positioning in the Baby Book, for example, where I first read about babywearing.

My point is only that given the kinds of directions and safety awareness that was out there three years ago when this family lost their baby, we should temper the "user error" judgment with compassion because it's highly, highly likely they didn't KNOW they were using it wrong and just thought they were doing their best for their sweet baby.

On the recall, I thought this was a fantastic blog post:

http://www.becomingmamas.com/cpsc-is...-sling-safety/

[morgainesmama]

The family has my absolute compassion.

My thoughts on the recall were directed toward the CPSC.

The number of children who die in nursery devices besides baby carriers are greater, in almost every instance and every product, than those who have problems in slings.

I think the information we have learned about positioning is crucial and that our community has been working hard for several years to disseminate it. Perhaps because our community has been so vocal and has worked so hard at bringing the death level from >1/year to ZERO, the CPSC is aware of positioning information re: slings.

Yet, the CPSC has not acted on positioning information re: infant carseats and asphyxia, for example, even though the stroller systems with clip-in carseats are rampant and statistically far more dangerous than infant carriers. Perhaps this is because there is no safety campaign from inside the carseat industry on positioning, positioning in infant carriers seems a more severe issue -- simply because we are willing to talk about it in this industry and community. These are crucial issues, and eliminating tragedies like this is critical to us as vendors, as retailers, as educators, and as consumers.

With education and understanding -- sharing information that babies with health concerns are at higher risk of PA and suffocation in general, including in infant carriers; that covering a baby's face can be dangerous, including in infant carriers; that babies born prematurely or with respiratory issues need more careful monitoring than most babies, including in infant carriers -- our community has the potential to lower the rate of death for all infants, reducing that grief for many families.

But it's important for people to understand that in the majority of these cases (Slingrider excepted from this statement unless contradictory info comes to light), the slings do not seem to be the key to the problem. The majority of these babies who have died in slings (less than one a year) have had compromised respiratory systems for one reason or another. The majority were under 4 months of age, many in their first few weeks of life, and several had been born earlier than their gestational age would indicate was safe. These are infants who were at a hugely elevated risk in *all* nursery products and situations, including while sleeping at night.

[kris1225]

Also note - the recall was voluntary. The company was probably advised to recall by legal counsel or other advisor.

[laughingfox]

Originally Posted by Quirky

On the recall, I thought this was a fantastic blog post:

http://www.becomingmamas.com/cpsc-is...-sling-safety/

That link mentioned that the JPMA has some involvement with all of this sling scrutiny. Hmm.

It makes sense that they would want the CPSC to target a very generic looking ring sling, from a company that's too small to be able to fight a request to issue a "voluntary" recall.

Slings are a threat to the bottom line of Juvenile Product Manufacturers.
They would see a lot more money from me and countless other sling users if we all needed to buy "travel systems" to keep our hands free while running errands with a baby in tow.

That said, I knew little about positioning when I used a sling for DD1 and, she was worn in positions I now know to be dangerous. I got that sling from a WAHM who never mentioned any kind of positional safety concern.
I'm grateful for the information available now. Education is very important.