Sling safety matters. Carrying our children in a sling safely can be one of the most precious experiences we ever have as parents or caregivers. There really is something very special about the bond that builds from keeping your child close.
However therapeutic or useful babywearing may be, it must be done safely, for baby’s health and for their families. For parents, one of their greatest priorities is to keep their children safe, feeling loved and secure. A good, correctly fitting sling can be a very helpful tool for this; keeping a child safe while daily life continues.
A sling is just like any other piece of baby equipment and needs to be used correctly to be safe. Accidents can occur; Graco was forced to recall 2 million pushchairs in 2010 due to strangulation deaths after incorrect usage.
Most deaths relating to babywearing occur during the first four months of life. Most incidents occur due to falls, faulty products, incorrect sling usage, or due to airway compromise related to positioning and/or feeding in the sling. These incidents usually occur due to lack of attention/understanding of babies’ bodies and their particular needs in early life, which leads to inadequate safety instructions or product design.
The most well-known situation is the Infantino SlingRider/Wendy Bellissimo “bag sling” controversy in 2010; four babies lost their lives in these slings before the product was finally recalled.
The TICKS safety checklist was created in response to these airway compromises.
Further reading
Incidents relating to babywearing safety can be found this article.
The Infantino SlingRider/Wendy Bellissimo sling controversy