Strollerderby
Sling Babies At Your Own Risk
Consumer Reports released a list of five things too dangerous for you to buy for your babies. I touched on several of them a while ago — bath seats and crib bumbers — and Droolicious also has a round-up.
But let’s take a closer look at one of the items the non-profit watch dog group found too dangerous: slings. Slings! Who at Consumer Reports wrote up this recommendation? My childless aunt? Those old ladies chasing me down in the airport to tell me my baby might fall out?
What could they possibly have against slings?
According to their blog and the release, in five years, four babies have died in slings (they don’t specify how) and “many” have been injured (they don’t specify the number) by skull fractures, contusions, head injuries and abrasions.
Most occurred when the child fell out of the sling. As slings grow in
popularity, so do the number of serious injuries. No safety standards
exist for slings. We think you should skip the sling and opt for other
types of infant carriers, which have safer track records.
Fine. I’m all for government oversight and consumer protections and more regulation. So, sure, bring on the safety standards.And falling babies is a serious, serious matter for sure. But a sling is the one baby item — the one! — I actually couldn’t live without.
Am I being a jerk when I say babies falling from slings is totally avoidable?
I’d love to know which slings these babies fell out of,
because not all slings are alike. The kind they have pictured I used
with my youngest — and hated it. Once he got to be a month or so old,
I could see how he might slip out the back. But that’s a problem, in my opinion, with
so-called pocket slings — not the entire genre of wearable carriers. They’re made to hold the baby as if she’s in a purse, not an extension of your body.
Ring
slings, though? They rock. And if used properly — that is cinched up
so baby is smushed against you, not swinging low in front of your
thighs like a pendulum with every step you take (and you see this
sometimes) — there’s just no way baby’s falling out.
We make big babies in my family so carrying them in infant carseats is torture. There’s no other way to grocery shop until the baby can sit up in the cart. Plus, I Iike having my hands available for something other than holding a baby. My husband’s also a big fan.
Consumer Reports says to stick with other infant carriers — I’m guessing Baby Bjorn- and Ergo-types — but I’ve never managed to make those work for us.
What do you think? Has your baby ever fallen out of the sling? Do you agree with Consumer Reports? They also take on sleep positioners and co-sleepers. Do they just have it in for “attachment parents”?
Related Posts
Dangerous Baby Gear: Why Can I Buy It?
Consumer Reports Picks 5 Baby Gifts Never to Buy Again
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17 Comments
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amYep, there’s a conspiracy out there to stop moms from any kind of attachment parenting whatsoever!!! NOT!!!
I tried the sling, didn’t like it. I have summer babies and the sling that I had, I just always felt like they were too hot in it. I loved my baby bjorn with the third child, mainly because I didn’t have to use a double stroller.
If you want to use a sling, use one. Why does everything have to be a war or conspiracy here???
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amMy youngest spent a good part of her first six months of life in a Hotsling. It worked out wonderfully and I still use it with her in the upright position with feet dangling out. The one problem I discovered as she grew bigger was when I was reaching up for things. She fell out once (I managed to catch her) and nearly fell out a couple more times before I figured it out.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI never used a sling because I was always scared baby would fall out. I have seen women use them and wish I was not so fearful with my babies. They look extremely convenient. I believe in attachment parenting and learned to do many things one handed. I did use those front pack things occasionally but found out that I am horrible about running into things. So, mostly, I just held my babies.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amMy first sling was almost exactly the same as the one pictured, other then it having a serial number that was different then the ones that were recalled. I hated it, it was horrible. It hung too low, the baby was bouncing on my thighs when I walked up stairs, and it made my shoulder hurt.
Then I bought a Hotsling and LOVED it, it didn’t hurt my shoulder at all and my daughter loved it completely. In cradle hold she would usually immediately be lulled into a nap, and once she was in the budda hold (face foward legs crossed under chin) she could be having the worst day ever, and would perk up and be happy instantly once she was in it.
Once she was older we switched to the standard legs out hip carry and even now at 16 months I sometimes use it when she doesn’t want to walk.
There was never a chance of her falling out of it because it fit properly and I would keep a hand on her when bending over.
Mei Tai carriers are also nice, there is a lady on ebay under name cuddlingbaby who sells them.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amFYI The sling pictured was actually recalled three years back because of failures in the closure system. Maybe that had to do with some of the data collected.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amThis has to be due to parents not using them properly. If a sling fits right, then the baby is so smushed up against you that it just isn’t possible for a baby to pop out. I bet the same danger could be cited for parents who are dumb-asses about simply holding a baby carelessly.
I’d also be curious if there are similar statistics about “hazardous” stroller use. Surely a baby or two has tumbled out of a stroller or two because mom or dad couldn’t figure out how to strap the kid in properly. Just curious because I can’t see anyone throwing baby strollers out with the bath water..or something like that.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amThanks Susan for the advice, I’ll check out the website. I think the belly to belly would work for us too.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI’ve been told that Bjorns can interfere with babies’ hip development if they are used before 6 months. In the Ergo, the baby has a “seat”, so their weight is on their bum. In the Bjorn, they’re basically hanging by their pelvis.
Steph: Despite getting some expert help, I never felt very comfortable with my daughter in the typical “cradle hold” in the pouch, because of the chin to chest issue that you mention. I used a Moby instead, so I could position her kangaroo style or belly to belly (vertically), which she (and I) much preferred. You have lots of other options!! Look into an Ergo or a ring sling …. go to thebabywearer.com for a ton of information. Good luck!
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI agree that ring slings are great, couldn’t get by without mine for any of my kids!
My oldest actually fell out of a Ergo baby carrier when someone was putting it on. He was okay, but it was pretty scary. We had to go to the hospital to have him checked out to make sure he was all right.
So, I would never use one of those again, but we love ring slings.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amOne of my fears with slings/carriers is that *I* will trip and fall, resulting in a pretty dangerous situation. A nurse who led a childcare class recommended not using them during bad weather for this reason. But it’s just like carrying them, and they’re probably a LOT safer than that so long as you’re careful (no running up stairs to catch the subway!)
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI think most of their argument is based on the sling shown in that picture- I think it’s called the Infantino? There were recalls and reports of problems because that particular sling is more like a purse and it was easy for the baby’s face to get pressed up against the fabric on the side and suffocate (and also the chin on the chest issue Steph mentioned).
I don’t see what the problem is with slings other than that specific one. Just be careful the baby doesn’t fall out and go have fun.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amHow many babies have died in the last 5 years by accidentally being dropped from someone’s arms? That’s what I equate this sling “risk” to. It is just plain silly to say that all slings are dangerous.
I had a ring sling and like pp’s have said, a sling is the one thing I couldn’t have lived without. My son never came close to falling out of it. But I did have a learning curve with it. It came with an instructional video and I watched it many many times before I got the hang of it. I even had help from a veteran mom who assisted me with proper use.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI dropped my second chld (after over 2.5 years of intensively babywearing since my first child was born) while trying to get her in a sling on an airplane. She was about 8 months old, I was distracted, and rather than putting her into the pouch on my Kangaroo Korner wrap, I put her in and let her go without realizing that I was putting her between my shirt and the sling, and she slid right through and landed on my suitcase (in front of a plane full of horrified passengers… I’m surprised no one called Child Protection).
It was embarrassing, and I took her to the doctor the moment we got home to make sure she was ok, but she was fine. My ego was badly bruised. She didn’t have a mark on her little body.
My kids have also fallen off of the bed, so we should probably all sleep on the floor. And they’ve tripped on the rugs, so we’d better install wall to wall carpet instead. But carpet causes allergies, so make that wood. But wood is hard, so get them helmets… And they’ve burned their tongues on food, so we’d better only eat room temperature purees – God forbid they choke on a bite of actual food.
Life is not without risk.
Even though I was an experienced babywearing mom who made a mistake and dropped my baby, I will still wear my next child. Because all of the benefits of babywearing (bonding, closeness, having two hands…) outweigh the risks.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI was wondering recently about the safety of slings, not babies falling out (as you mentioned that *may* be avoidable?) but because babies heads can sit quite forward – ie their chin on their chest.
In the same way it’s recommended that babies don’t stay in infant car sets for too long and sometimes while sitting in them babies can get into trouble if their heads fall forward… Wouldn’t this also apply to a sling?
I was bummed about this as I was hoping to take my baby in a sling when I travel from the U.S. to Australia in a couple of months – it seemed like the perfect solution to an incredibly uncomfortable flight that sometimes takes all up -with all the connections- nearly three days… (Yes, seriously!)
Does anyone have any ideas about this aspect of sling safety.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI use a Moby wrap, and I also could not live without it. My son never even came close to falling out, as the Moby keeps the baby so snuggled up that you could literally do yoga while wearing it. I agree that the pocket slings always made me nervous, and I never got the hang of ring slings, but I think you can make any of those slings work if you are just aware of their limitations.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI doubt many children have died from crib bumpers or walkers in the past five years, either, though.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI don’t necessarily agree with CR, BUT my younger son did almost once fall out when he was around 2 months. I was distracted by chasing my 18 m/o around, and Baby’s head worked loose so that it was hanging out the underside of the sling. That was scary. I’m much more careful now. I was using a pocket sling (New Native), which I actually prefer to a ring sling (I had used one previously). Maybe I could’ve used some personal instruction on how to use it. A sling consultant at the hospital, just like a lactation consultant? =)
By the way, I LOVE my Ergo and I use it as soon as my kids are big enough for it (I’ve never tried the “infant insert” with it).
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