Personal Injury Law

Warning of Infant Deaths with Popular Baby Slings

By Paul Napoli

The suffocation deaths of infants while in baby slings has prompted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue a warning about the popular child carriers.

Baby slings are a soft fabric wrap or pouch-like apparel used to carry a child wrapped close to the chest. The use of a baby sling is called 'babywearing' and has become popular in recent years.

Because infants who are only a few months old have weak neck muscles, making them unable to control their heads, the CPSC warns of two ways an infant may suffocate in a sling. If the soft fabric of the sling covers the child's nose or mouth or the sling presses the child's face into the wearer's body, it could obstruct the breathing and suffocate the infant in a matter of minutes. The infant's breathing may also be restricted or obstructed if the sling holds the infant in a curled position with the chin toward the chest, causing the infant to suffocate while unable to cry for help.

The CPSC says it is investigating the deaths of three infants in 2009 associated with the sling style carriers and that after reviewing incident reports for the past 20 years, is investigating 11 more deaths from previous years. In 12 cases, the infants were younger than four months of age. The CPSC wants parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings because many of the infants who died were a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely or had breathing issues such as a cold.

The CPSC added slings to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard two months ago and the agency is working with ASTM International to complete an effective voluntary standard for infant sling carriers.

The consumer advocacy organization Consumer Reports first questioned the safety of baby slings in April 2008, reporting injuries such as skull fractures, head injuries, contusions and abrasions attributed mostly to children who fell out of the sling.

Products liability is the branch of law that deals with the liability of parties involved in the manufacturing of a product for any damages caused by the product. Defective products can cause a great deal of property damage or physical injury, even death. If your child was injured or killed as the result of a defective baby sling or other product, you need the services of an experienced attorney who has successfully handled product liability cases. At Napoli Bern Ripka LLP, our attorneys will work with you to begin the process of filing a claim for payment of medical expenses incurred and compensation for the injury or loss. Call 888-529-4669 today.

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on March 17, 2010 (boomark / email).