What about 'Bag Slings'?

Bag Slings are a popular seller in baby stores.  Some varieties in NZ are the Baby First, Premaxx,  and Infantino SlingRider. Unfortunately there are some issues with infant safety that people should know.   Please don't buy a 'bag sling' - there are so many other options that are more comfortable for you and safer for your baby.  Read on for more....

There have been many babies who have asphixiated in the Infantino Slingrider.  Read the article here (beware, baby death mentioned)

STOP PRESS!!!!!  January 2010 : Parents are suing Infantino after their baby smothered in a bag sling. See here for details.  This is important, it is happening NOW, and will keep happening until we spread awareness of baby sling safety.

Former Registered Nurse and Babywearing Instructor M'liss Stelzer
has kindly given permission for this article to be reproduced on Slingbabies.

'Baby First' Bag Sling - baby is lost in there! His neck is bent which affected his breathing, he couldn't see anything, and almost no airflow. - Jess Richards

With the majority of fabric carriers it takes only a few minor adjustments to get baby safely and comfortably positioned however, it appears that ‘bag slings' (like the Infantino SlingRider, Lamaze Close Comfort, etc.) have several significant design flaws that could place an infant at risk of respiratory distress or oxygen deprivation.

First, the design of these bag slings causes baby to curl chin to chest, larger babies more so because their heads are positioned further up in the carrier. This position kinks baby's airway causing the baby to work harder to breathe.

For more information on the importance of maintaining an infant's head and neck in an aligned position see the articles:

"Baby car seat ‘cot death' concerns"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/6216892.stm

"Simple Car Seat Insert to Prevent Upper Airway Narrowing" 

PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 4 October 2003, pp. 907-913

Second, bag slings are roughly triangle shaped; flat bottom and two sides that slant upwards toward the elastic top. This "triangle" means that the pouch fabric is always angled very close to the sides of baby's face. If baby rotates even slightly he ends up with his nose within a ¼" of the side, or even pressed against the side of the pouch. Once baby has his head pressed against the side of the carrier and/or against the parent's body there is a risk of him becoming oxygen deprived or even suffocating.

Third, it is difficult for the parent to closely monitor their infant unless he/she pulls open the top of the sling.  Bag slings are generally deep, plus they sag when baby is placed in it, further increasing the depth of the carrier. The gathered top, and the fact that the sling hangs so low, obstructs the parent's view of baby. If a newborn were to have difficulty breathing, and/or rotate until his nose and mouth was pressed against the side of the carrier, the parent may not be aware of the baby's respiratory distress for some time. Compounding this problem is the difficulty of feeling the baby's distress through the thick fabric of the sling.

Fourth, although there are bag slings designed with large mesh panels placed near the infant's head, others are not.  There is a possibility that, with only a very small opening at the top of a non-mesh sling, an infant may not receive adequate amounts of fresh air.  There is also the concern that carbon dioxide levels could rise the longer the infant remains in the sling.

For more information on the dangers of re-breathing see this article:
“About Carbon Dioxide Poisoning and SIDS”
www.sidsprevention.com/co2andsids.html

Ring Sling - see how baby's neck and back are straight - this is much better positioning than a bag sling. - Jess Richards

Compare bag slings with a shallow fabric pouch or adjustable open-tailed sling (or mei tai or wrap). In these types of carriers an infant is easily monitored. Also, a newborn's head is effectively sandwiched between the sides of these carriers, preventing the infant from easily rotating his/her head into the sides of the carrier.

M'liss Stelzer
Former Registered Nurse
Now Babywearing Educator and Mother of two.