A REAL health and safety hazard ...

[aspiemama]

I just saw a news article about the Infantino SlingRider, a baby sling with a fixed pouch and padded edges.  Apparently babies have been suffocating in the thing.  As bad as it is, I am seeing it as a personal victory as I have been telling people for years that those padded slings are not safe.  A properly worn baby sling should be drum tight around the body.  The portion of the sling across the back of the mother should be so tight that it holds the back in proper posture, supporting the mother's back and preventing injury.  The pouch should be pulled tight around the baby's body, cinched so that the fabric cannot be inhaled by the infant.  If the baby is lying down, in what is called the "cradle position" then the head should be pointing up towards the mother's breast.  Once in place, the tightening of the sling will keep the head in place and support the baby's back.  The only other position a newborn should EVER be put in is the kangaroo position.  The baby is placed, in fetal position, in the pouch with the mother's and baby's stomachs facing one another.  The head should be turned to the side so that the baby is not pressed against either the mother's body or the sling fabric.  Again, a properly tightened sling will keep the baby from shifting positions and will create a secure air pocket in front of the face to keep the baby breathing freely.  Another concern mentioned in the article is that babies have died from falling out of the sling.  Another reason I never recommend the SlingRider.  A fully adjustable ring sling can, and should, be tightened enough that the wearer can do a headstand without the baby shifting position measurably or falling out.  I would regularly put my children in the sling, tighten it, then bend over to pick something up as though my baby was not there at all.

The problem with the SlingRider is that the padded rails and fixed pocket make it so that the baby is not securely supported.  There is no way to tighten the sling past where the rails begin, so that the baby is no more secure than when in a Baby Bjorn.  Which is another carrier I do not recommend, by the way.

If you are interested in babywearing, go to www.thebabywearer.com and check out the information and forums there to find out about proper, safe, babywearing techniques.  Whatever you do, don't buy or put your child in an Infantino SlingRider or Baby Bjorn type carrier.  Neither provides proper support for the wearer or baby.