# Sling blamed for infant death



## mom2snugbugs (Nov 28, 2006)

This happened in my city. Wondering if anyone saw this. I don't even know how this is possible.

Possible Triggers-

http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local...s3t5KUNDg.cspx

I used a NoJo ring sling for both of my DCs since birth. Never had any problems.


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## woodchick (Jan 5, 2007)

Those Infantino slings are notoriously bad. And they are structurally different from the NoJo.

I feel horrible for this family.


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

Well, it could have been a SIDS incident that just happened to occur in a sling. I have an internet friend whose baby had what the doctors termed a "near SIDS incident" while in a sling. She firmly believes that her son would have died if he wasn't on her at the time and able to call for help and being resusitation immediately. Her story isn't completely happy, as her son ended up with severe brain damage and died 2 years later from complications related to the incident.







There was also a mom in my youngest son's DDC here at MDC who lost her baby to SIDS while wearing him in a sling - I don't think there was ever a suggestion that the sling played a part in his death. Again, I think this mother noticed right away because she was carrying him rather than him being asleep in another room or being pushed in a stroller.
However, I know that there is some concern, even in the baby wearing community, about re-breathing in certain types of slings -and I think the sling that was used by this family might be one of the styles that are of concern (heavy material, lots of padding, etc. I can also see how a baby improperly positioned in a cradle hold could have their neck twisted in a way that could cut of breathing. All I know is that I'm very sorry for the family. They must be heartbroken.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

Quote:

I don't even know how this is possible.
Positional asphyxiation... New Native warns against it on their website - http://www.newnativeinc.com/instruction.asp

This is the reason I will only use carriers that hold the baby upright.


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## mom2snugbugs (Nov 28, 2006)

I also thought of a SIDS situation. I feel so bad for this family.


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## russsk (Aug 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fruitfulmomma* 
Positional asphyxiation... New Native warns against it on their website - http://www.newnativeinc.com/instruction.asp

This is the reason I will only use carriers that hold the baby upright.

I had a New Native, and I can definitely see how a very young infant could suffocate in one if you aren't very careful. I was never comfortable using it until ds was older. Even then I didn't care for it much. My ring sling is much better.


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## barefootmama0709 (Jun 25, 2009)

this is really a heartbreaking incident. I hope that it isn't used to make a case against babywearing in general-there are people out there who are seriously against it (though I can't fathom why).


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## prothyraia (Feb 12, 2007)

There's a lot of information at http://babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/ about this sort of thing.


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## 4Blessings (Feb 27, 2008)

So sad. I'm always checking my LO's position and making sure she's breathing while babywearing since I've read a few stories like this one in the past. I hate seeing another loss


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## Hannah32 (Dec 23, 2009)

My SIL gave me a ring sling. How do those work with these issues? I know myself; I'll be checking every two seconds.


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## woodchick (Jan 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Hannah32* 
My SIL gave me a ring sling. How do those work with these issues? I know myself; I'll be checking every two seconds.

This video shows a vertical, chest to chest hold in a ring sling. This is the only way I liked carrying my girls when they were tiny.

There's less of a breathing issue when they aren't tucked into the pouch of the sling.


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## carmel23 (Jul 21, 2006)

so very sad.


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

The saddest thing is that this death was absolutely preventable.







The Infantino SlingRider and similar duffel bag style carriers, when used as directed, are inherently unsafe because they a) push baby's chin towards the chest, thus increasing the risk of positional asphyxia, and b) enclose the baby in fabric, thus increasing the risk of rebreathing.

Infantino was notified as far back as October 2006 about the problems with its design, and chose to do nothing. Nor did the CPSC take any action when provided the same information.

There are confirmed deaths of babies in good brands of slings as well -- it's all too possible to use a great sling unsafely. It's not the sling design per se but its unsafe use that puts baby into a chin to chest position that's dangerous.

I've just started a Facebook fan page on babywearing safety that's intended to provide information on the risks of dangerous designs and unsafe wearing positions, as well as safe babywearing positioning information:

http://www.facebook.com/BabywearingSafety


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

Quirky, i just tried to go to your page, but I got a Page Not Found error.


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

Try now! I fixed the link.


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

Got it!


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## bandgeek (Sep 12, 2006)

I had one of those when DS was a newborn. It was AWFUL. Basically, it was designed so the baby sinks down and has little support and they end up with their chin to their chest, which can block off their airway. Thankfully I noticed how bad that position was and only used it once....supporting DS the whole time so he wouldn't slump down like that.


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## gretchikin (Mar 12, 2008)

my DD2 even as a newborn never liked the cradle hold. She's always been vertical. And I'm checking her breathing constantly if her head is turned away from me. I usually use a wrap but have a RS too--wouldn't cradle hold in that either!

So sad for this family but can't figure out what the "specifics" are that they're not telling...


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## CallMeMommy (Jun 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bandgeek* 
I had one of those when DS was a newborn. It was AWFUL. Basically, it was designed so the baby sinks down and has little support and they end up with their chin to their chest, which can block off their airway. Thankfully I noticed how bad that position was and only used it once....supporting DS the whole time so he wouldn't slump down like that.

Ditto, practically word-for-word. I hated that thing and wouldn't even pass it on to someone else.


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## RunnerDuck (Sep 12, 2003)

I had a Maya wrap and I never felt comfortable with my son in it as a newborn because he always ended up scrunched and I was afraid he couldn't breathe. I think this could be SIDS or it could be something that could have happened in ANY sling.

I remember voicing concerns about this when my son was little and people would say babies are used to being scrunched because they are scrunched in the womb... but I never felt safe using that sling until he got bigger and I could use it for hip carries. Babies don't need to breathe in utero so the whole used to being scrunched thing never made sense to me. I stopped using it until he was bigger. Thought I might try again with my girls but only ever used upright positions/carriers for them.

Not saying the family is to blame... but if the sling is to blame... not convinced it's got anything to do with the sling itself so much as issues inherit to slings and newborns. And of course it could have also been a SIDS case and had nothing at all to do with anything.


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *RunnerDuck*
I had a Maya wrap and I never felt comfortable with my son in it as a newborn because he always ended up scrunched and I was afraid he couldn't breathe. I think this could be SIDS or it could be something that could have happened in ANY sling.

I remember voicing concerns about this when my son was little and people would say babies are used to being scrunched because they are scrunched in the womb... but I never felt safe using that sling until he got bigger and I could use it for hip carries. Babies don't need to breathe in utero so the whole used to being scrunched thing never made sense to me. I stopped using it until he was bigger. Thought I might try again with my girls but only ever used upright positions/carriers for them.

Not saying the family is to blame... but if the sling is to blame... not convinced it's got anything to do with the sling itself so much as issues inherit to slings and newborns. And of course it could have also been a SIDS case and had nothing at all to do with anything.

Well, SIDS is caused by something -- the leading theory is that it's something that causes baby to stop breathing and not self-arouse. So having positional asphyxia in a carrier and SIDS are not mutually exclusive.

http://pediatrics.jwatch.org/cgi/con...ull/2009/819/1

Quote:

Although the risk factors listed above for SIDS have been identified, the pathway that leads to death is still uncertain. Currently, the predominant theory is failure in the respiratory pathway described as follows:

* A life-threatening event causes asphyxia *(e.g., rebreathing exhaled gases in the prone position,* reflex apnea from activation of laryngeal receptors by gastric contents, obstructive apnea from regurgitation)
* Failure of arousal in response to asphyxia, preventing the infant from turning its head and recovering from the apnea
* Hypoxic coma resulting from continued asphyxia
* Bradycardia and hypoxic gasping
* Failure of autoresuscitation that results in death
The issues here are two-fold:

1) Any newborn or small baby is at risk of positional asyphxia in any carrier if used incorrectly such that baby slumps/curls chin-to-chest. With the Maya Wrap, for example, it is very possible to position a newborn safely -- and it is also possible to use it unsafely.

2) The SlingRider, however, BY DESIGN, forces baby into a chin-to-chest position by requiring them to be lying on their backs, curled up in the bottom of the carrier, strapped in over the tummy by a wide velcro strap, with fabric closed over their heads. There is no way IMO to use the SlingRider safely with a newborn. This makes it VERY different from the Maya or similar ring slings that can easily be used safely.

There has been more than one baby dead in the SlingRider....and the numbers may be even higher than we know.

So although I think it's incredibly important to educate parents about the risks of positional asphyxia and how to use carriers safely, I think the SlingRider and similar designs should be pulled from the market because they are inherently far more dangerous and cannot be used correctly and safely to avoid the chin-to-chest position and to keep fabric from enclosing baby's head.

ETA: If you've never seen a SlingRider in person, here are some pix at the Babywearing Safety Blogspot -- scroll down and see how baby is naturally going to curl into a C-shape with chin-to-chest with fabric over the head. There's simply no way to adjust it so that this dangerous positioning DOESN'T happen.

http://babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

Quote:

I remember voicing concerns about this when my son was little and people would say babies are used to being scrunched because they are scrunched in the womb...








... Babies in the womb don't get their oxygen through their mouth/nose airways. Two totally different things.


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## RunnerDuck (Sep 12, 2003)

But there are cases where, despite everything being "perfect" according to SIDS prevention, babies have died of SIDS. Arguably, something caused the baby to die - but if a breastfed baby of non-smoking parents dies after being placed face up in a crib to sleep - and it has happened - I'm just saying it's not impossible that something having nothing at all to do with the sling is to blame. I'm not saying that it's impossible for the sling to be to blame, either... kind of a shocking story in that there is a terrible ending with no real information and a lot of people are probably going to conclude that baby wearing is dangerous.

eta - I have to agree that that sling does not look to be of the most ideal design to me. It kinda of looks like putting the baby in a duffle bag!


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## RunnerDuck (Sep 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fruitfulmomma* 







... Babies in the womb don't get their oxygen through their mouth/nose airways. Two totally different things.

Yes - which I said, in the same paragraph









Quote:

I remember voicing concerns about this when my son was little and people would say babies are used to being scrunched because they are scrunched in the womb... but I never felt safe using that sling until he got bigger and I could use it for hip carries. Babies don't need to breathe in utero so the whole used to being scrunched thing never made sense to me. I stopped using it until he was bigger. Thought I might try again with my girls but only ever used upright positions/carriers for them.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

Quote:

Yes - which I said, in the same paragraph


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## maguvet (Sep 19, 2009)

I would like to say that I loved my Infantino sling from 2-6 months for my son. It was NOT appropriate for him 0-2 months - he was just too small- and luckily I have medical training so that it was obvious to me, and we used the Moby wrap. However, once he was bigger, i found it very easy to put him in a position in the Infantino sling where his head was elevated, not chin to chest, and the opening was situated nicely so his nose & mouth were exposed to avoid rebreathing. It was quite cozy and felt more secure to me than my ring sling, which didn't work well for me until he was bigger. It was a lifesaver for napping him when he was colicky and just could not be put down to sleep, and wonderful when we were travelling. He never rested as well in the Moby when he got bigger.

This story is very sad, and the Infantino slingmakers may bear some responsibility, but it worked out very nicely for us.


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