In the wake of the 2007 death of 10-day-old baby from a handmade baby sling, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling approximately 40 Sprout Stuff infant ring slings because they pose a child suffocation hazard. Sprout Stuff is located in Texas.
The baby slings were sold to consumers between October 2006 and May 2007. The recalled slings are made with cloth that threads through a ring and “Sprout Stuff” is printed on the tail hem’s backside.
It was just last March that the CPSC put out a warning that parents and caregivers should be extra careful when using the infant slings with babies under 4-months of age. At least 14 infant deaths over the last 2 decades are linked to the infant sling carriers. Products liability lawsuits claiming wrongful death have been filed in some of these cases.
The suffocation risk can occur if the sling’s fabric blocks a baby’s breathing by pressing against his/her nose and mouth. An infant can also suffocate if his/her airways get obstructed while in the sleeper in a curled position involving the chin pressed into the chest.
Although the CPSC has placed infant slings on the list of infant products that need a mandatory standard, there still isn’t one at this time.
Child Suffocation
Suffocation is the number one cause of accidental child deaths. According to More4Kids.Info, common causes of child suffocation include:
- Positional asphyxia
- Overlay: A person sleeping with a child rolls over and smothers the child
- Choking accidents
- Entrapment: The child gets trapped in a confined area that is airtight, such as a toy chest
- The child’s face or chest gets covered, which obstructs breathing
- Strangulation
As you can see, many of these causes of child suffocation are ones that our child injury lawyers have written about on our products liability blog site in relation to products that have caused serious injuries to children. Defective cribs, poorly designed window shades and drapes, toy chests with lids that don’t have a proper security lock, and toys that are so small that they are easy to swallow, are just some products that have caused suffocation deaths and injuries to kids and babies.
Newborn death prompts recall of baby slings, Associated Press, June 2, 2010
Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies, CPSC, March 12, 2010
Child Suffocation: More than a Nightmare, More4Kids
Related Web Resources:
Recalls.gov
CPSC and Infant Sling Safety, BabyWearing International
Related posts:
- At Least 13 Infant Deaths Linked to Baby Slings, Reports CPSC
- Preventing Child Injuries: Infantino Recalls Over 1 Million Baby Slings and Evenflo Recalls Over 150,000 Top-of-Stair Gates
- Colorado Infant Death Prompts CPSC to Re-Announce Recall of Delta Enterprise Drop-Side Crib Over Safety Peg Defect