Earlier this week, the chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum, made some remarks about the risks of infant slings. “We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies," said Tenenbaum at  a summit hosted by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. "So the time has come to alert parents and caregivers.” She said that a general warning about slings would likely be made by her agency very soon.

At Consumer Reports, we’ve raised concerns about slings before. Last fall, we noted that we knew of at least seven babies who suffocated in baby slings over the prior 11 years, and 37 infants who were seriously hurt. Those injuries included skull fractures, broken bones, and serious bruises. Most occurred when the child fell out of the sling. Because of those incidents, and the lack of safety standards, infant slings are on our list of products not to buy for your baby.

We also reported that our research uncovered two deaths associated with one sling model, the Infantino SlingRider. According to government investigators, two newborns died from anoxia, or lack of oxygen, while their mothers carried them in Infantino slings.

On November 4, 2009 we wrote to the CPSC and said that “we believe that the Infantino SlingRider poses a substantial product hazard” and encouraged the agency to consider a recall on the product before more babies die. But on December 23rd, another death occurred. A representative for the family told us that a 3-month-old infant suffocated while being carried by her mother in an Infantino SlingRider during a shopping excursion.

Read the full Safety blog post.

Learn more about safe ways to transport your baby, such as strollers, infant car seat carriers, and front or hip carriers—as well as safety tips for using soft front and hip carriers.