Infant Death Prompts Sling Baby Carrier Recall
After a 10-day-old newborn baby boy died in this type of sling-style baby carrier in 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing the recall of Sprout Stuff infant ring slings.
Sprout Stuff, of Austin, Texas is issuing the recall and the CPSC advises parents to STOP using these slings immediately. Earlier this year, the CPSC issued a general warning about sling-style baby carriers because other models and brands of these carriers have also been responsible for infant suffocation deaths, such as the Infantino SlingRider. Pritzker Olsen child safety attorneys represent the family of an Ohio child who was suffocated by an Infantino SlingRider.
“Although it will be too late for our clients, it is crucial that these manufacturers come up with a safe way to design, produce and market their products,” said attorney Fred Pritzker of Pritzker Olsen law firm. “These tragedies are preventable and never should have happened in the first place. These manufacturers have a responsibility to protect consumers.”
The recalled hazardous baby slings are natural muslin that come with or without a shoulder pad and has “Sprout Stuff” printed on the back side of the tail hem. They were sold directly to consumers by Sprout Stuff from October 2006 through May 2007. Sprout Stuff is contacting known purchasers of the slings, and consumers may contact Sprout Stuff for a full refund. Do NOT attempt to fix or modify the slings. They are unsafe and pose several kinds of infant suffocation hazards.
Infant Suffocation Hazards in Sling-Style Baby Carriers
Infants can suffocate in these types of sling carriers in two ways:
- Newborns have not yet developed the neck muscles they need to control their head movements. If the sling’s fabric presses against a newborn’s mouth or nose, it will keep the baby from breathing and the child can suffocate in a very short time because he/she will not be able to move their head away.
- These slings can also cradle babies in a curled, C-like position, in which the child’s chin bends toward their chest. This can restrict airways and, once again, suffocate the child because it will not be able to move out of the position.
There are currently NO safety standards regulating these types of baby sling carriers, and the CPSC is working with industry standards organization ASTM International and companies that manufacture these products to define a set of standards regarding the design, manufacturing and selling of these slings so they no longer pose the threat of tragic infant suffocation death.
