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It’s been almost a year since Lisa Cochran’s 7-day-old son, Derrik, died of compression asphyxia/suffocation. She had taken her new baby out to Costco in an Infantino “SlingRider.” While she shared a meal with grandma, she removed her son from the sling, placing him back inside only after they finished, for the short walk across the parking lot to the car.
When they reached the vehicle, something was wrong. CNN reports:
“He was not the right color. He was yellow. He had purple spots from where the sling rubbed marks on his face,” said Cochran, 27.
Paramedics tried to revive the child; an ambulance rushed the family to the hospital. It was too late.
She filed a lawsuit against the maker of the sling in January, and on Wednesday Infantino recalled two of their slings, the “SlingRider” and the “Wendy Bellissimo.” They have offered to replace customers’ sling, but have taken no responsibility for infant deaths, citing the “rigorous testing” that goes into “ensur[ing] the safety of [Infantino] products.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has identified 14 sling-related deaths, “most of them in children younger than 4 months.” According to CNN, Health Canada issued a statement revealing that three of those deaths occurred in Infantino Slings.
The statement also explained why slings can be hazardous to infants:
“In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can press against an infant’s nose and mouth, blocking the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two … Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.”
Heartbreaking.
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It doesn’t surprise me. A sling needs to be lightweight fabric if the baby is going to be pretty much encased. Something like a Maya Wrap or if you want a heavier one it needs to be constructed to keep the baby upright like a Baby Bjorn. When I first saw those infantino sling I told my hubby that they were suffocation hazards so it’s ridiculous that the manufacturer couldn’t figure it out.
We bought a material sling and it made me nervous, because I was concerned about airway restriction in the position that the baby assumed. So we didnt really use it. The Baby Bjorn that we have is fantastic and adapts as she grows!
How stupid. Think of how many people use baby slings, and have forever. 14 deaths ever is actually pretty good – especially when user error is so possible. There will ALWAYS be freak accidents. This is a good reason to take a look at your sling and how it is used, and make sure it won’t press on the face – NOT to freak out and declare them all suffocation hazards.
It isn’t just the material, it’s that the baby’s chin is pressed down and can restrict the air passages. That isn’t safe.
And 14 babies dying isn’t good.
The slings in question are the loose, sack style. Maya wraps, mai tais, baby bjorns, and ring slings are all safe when used correctly. Aside from benefiting from being close to their parents, babies don’t suffer the cranial molding that infant car seats can cause.
[...] Baby Slings Recalled Infant Deaths – Zelda Lily [...]
Wow. I don’t have kids yet, but when I do I’m going to probably be really paranoid about this kind of thing.
I used a Moby D wrap (a massive strip of fabric you wrap around yourself in various ways and insert baby) from birth and still use it now. Two days ago I went out with my son in the wrap, facing out, with no fabric in his face, in a proper position, etc… Some random woman said ‘you’re going to kill your baby in that thing’! My response was ‘its not the baby who should be worried…’ She got all huffy and stormed off. Serves her right for passing judgement.
It’s good these stories make people double check they’re using products correctly, but I’d rather people not accuse me of attempted infanticide.