Personal Injury Law

Baby Sling Carriers Can Cause Child Suffocation, Cautions CPSC

By Altman & Altman

Here is a warning for Massachusetts parents and guardians. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, baby slings can be deadly for your infants. Over the years, this carrier has proved to be a popular accessory, allowing parents to ?wear? their kids while keeping them close so that they can bond or breastfeed. Yet the CPSC says that in the last 20 years, it has looked into at least 13 deaths that have been linked to these sling carriers.

12 of the babies that died were under the age of four months. Three of the fatalities happened last year. Consumer Reports noted in 2008 that there had been about two dozen serious injuries to children involving the baby slings.

The main hazards associated with the baby slings are fall accidents, which can lead to skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries, and suffocation, which can happen if the baby ends up in a ?C-like? position close to the mom?s belly or chest or if the sling?s fabric ends up covering the infant?s mouth and nose. Both can make it hard for the baby to breath properly.

If your child died because of a defective product, you may want to consider filing a Boston, Massachusetts products liability lawsuit so that you can obtain compensation for the injuries to your child caused by a negligent manufacturer.

If you are going to continue to use your child?s baby sling, then it is important that you:

? Check with the doctor to make sure the sling is the right carrier to use for your baby.
? Follow directions for proper use.
? Make sure that your baby is securely in the sling and isn?t at risk of falling.
? Make sure that the sling fabric doesn?t cover your baby?s face.
? After feeding the infant, shift his/her position so that the head is facing up.
? Frequently check your baby?s position in the sling.

Unfortunately, there are furniture, clothing, accessories, toys, and other children?s products that are either defectively designed or poorly made to the point that they can cause serious injuries to children. Choking, strangulation, lead poisoning, fingertip amputation, and eye hazards are just some of the potential dangers that can cause Boston, Massachusetts injuries to minors.

Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies, CPSC, March 12, 2010

Infant deaths prompt gov't warning on slings, Associated Press/The Boston Globe, March 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Strangulation and Suffocation, Parents.com

Child Injuries, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Full post as published by Boston Injury Lawyer Blog on March 16, 2010 (boomark / email).