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Yummy mummy slings 'may kill babies': Investigation launched into deaths of 14 newborns

By Sophie Freeman
Updated: 05:18 EDT, 20 March 2010 Celebrity endorsement: Nicole Kidman carried her baby, Sunday Rose, in a sling

Parents are being warned about the danger of baby slings made popular by celebrities and 'yummy mummies' following a number of deaths.

The slings have gained popularity in recent years on the basis that they promote a natural bond between a mother and her new baby.

However, health authorities in the U.S. say the slings pose a risk of suffocation and may have been responsible for the deaths of 14 children.

Babies can find their mouths and noses are covered by material yet their neck muscles are so weak in the first few months of life they cannot move to free themselves.

Additionally, where a sling keeps the baby in a curled position, bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply.

Slings, endorsed by celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman, are praised for their practicality because they allow parents to keep their baby close to them while leaving their hands free.

They are also presented as a natural way to carry a baby, based on the notion that the warmth and closeness to the parent's heartbeat creates a feeling of security.

TV presenter Myleene Klass has her own range of slings, while Mothercare has reported a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in sales.

The Mumsnet forum for parents heralds slings as a 'great idea for getting around with your child'.




But now an investigation has been launched in the U.S. into 14 deaths associated with baby slings over the last 20 years, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months.

The deaths have prompted the U.S. Government to issue a warning over the use of slings with babies under 16 weeks.

Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said: 'We know of too many deaths in these slings and we know the hazard scenarios for very small babies.

'So, the time has come to alert parents and caregivers.'

The same body took a world lead in warning about the safety of McLaren baby buggies last year after children's fingertips were amputated in a hinge mechanism.

Subsequently, the health alert was extended to the UK and beyond.

The British Government has not issued any safety warnings about slings but the Department of Health said parents should follow the guidelines printed in its Pregnancy Book, which is handed out free to expectant parents.

This advises parents to ensure that the infant's head is supported and that the carrier is always fastened securely to the wearer's body.

Sheila Merrill of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: 'If parents feel they must use slings it is very important that they are shown and understand how to use them correctly.'

The not-for-profit Consumers Union in the U.S. said, in addition to the deaths, it was aware of 37 infants who had been seriously hurt while being carried in a sling, mostly by falling out.


Yummy mummy baby slings 'may kill'
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