QuirkyBaby Blog

All of the slings and carriers I stock are professionally manufactured and inspected, and the designs have been extensively tested by expert babywearers to ensure that they are safe when used as directed. However, your baby’s safety is ultimately your responsibility. Please inspect your sling or carrier before you first use it and before every use thereafter for signs of wear and tear, and immediately stop using it if you detect any potential problems.

Read all printed instructions and watch any instructional DVDs that come with your carrier. Practice over a soft surface such as a bed and check your work in a mirror to ensure baby is secure.  Always keep at least one hand firmly holding onto your baby when putting her in the carrier, and make sure she is securely in the carrier before letting go. Learn how to use your carrier without assistance: you should not rely on others to help you with your baby carrier, as they will not know how to help you safely and may cause an accident.

To maintain your baby’s airway properly, always ensure that baby’s face is not covered by fabric and that baby’s chin is not forced against her chest. Newborns, premature babies, and other young babies should not be placed in a carrier in a prone (lying down) or cradle position as this may put them at risk of positional asphyxia. If your baby snores, squirms, grunts, cries, turns red, or otherwise seems distressed, take her out of the carrier and reposition her immediately.

Read the following on correct positioning of your newborn or small baby: correct positioning handout.

Do not engage in any hazardous activities while babywearing, such as driving, riding a bike, rock climbing, etc. Make sure to keep your baby safely away from any heat source, hot food and drink, etc. Use common sense and be mindful of your baby’s position at all times.

NOTE ON BAG SLINGS (Infantino SlingRider, JJ Cole Premaxx, Lamaze Close Comfort, Munchkin Jelly Bean Cargo Sling, Boppy Carry in Comfort, Balboa Baby, and similar)

Any baby sling that is a deep bag shape and resembles a duffel bag is not a safe sling for your baby, particularly a premature baby or newborn. This type of carrier forces baby’s chin to chest and often encloses baby’s head in fabric, potentially impeding baby’s airway and forcing rebreathing of exhaled carbon dioxide.

Read the Consumer Reports blog post on two babies suffocating in 2009 in Infantino SlingRider slings. Also read the Baby Sling Safety blog on how the duffel bag design of bag slings is inherently dangerous *when used as designed and directed.*

NOTE ON SAFE USE OF CARSEATS AND OTHER INFANT CONTAINERS

Positional asphyxia and head deformity (plagiocephaly or “container head”) are risks of using infant car seats (bucket-style) and other infant containers such as swings, strollers, bouncy seats, and cribs excessively or inappropriately. Please be aware that there are risks posed by these baby gadgets to your baby’s physical safety and long-term development. Although babies should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, when your baby is awake, keep baby off her back in your arms or in a baby carrier as much as possible.

Links:

AAP Says Infant Carseats Increase Risk of Positional Asphyxia

Get Container Babies Off Their Backs!

Convenience for Parents Could Lead to Container Syndrome