Mar 10 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has announced that they are going to issue a warning on the very popular baby slings, and their safety issues later in the week. The announcement comes after the reports of at least seven babies dying from suffocation in the harness-type carriers.

The Chairman of the CSPC, Inez Tenenbaum sent the alert out on Tuesday, and said, “We know of too many deaths in these slings and we now know the hazard scenarios for very small babies,so the time has come to alert parents and caregivers.”

The seven confirmed deaths sue to the baby slings have occurred over the last 11 years. At least two of those happened this year, however, in slings manufactured by Infantino of San Diego CA. Consumer Reports added this sling to it’s list of dangerous products for babies and some Infantino Slings were recalled in 2007 due to a fall hazard.

As pointed out by “The Undercover Mother” this does not mean that every baby sling is dangerous. Parents should always be aware of the instructions and warnings that come with these carriers. The “bag slings” are the ones which are prone to cause suffocation. These slings are worn around the neck and body in a messenger bag type fashion. When a baby is placed deep onto the pockets of these slings, their bodies are in a C position, where their chin tucks in and touches their neck. This restricts the airway, causing suffocation. Since the baby is lower down on the parent’s body, they may have no idea that the child is in distress. The Infantino Slingrider breaks many of the baby-wearing safety rules that are taught by instructors:

1. The baby should be close enough to kiss.
2. The baby should never have his/her chin resting on his/her chest.
3. The baby’s head should always be above the rest of his/her body.
4. The baby’s knees should always be higher than his/her butt.
5. The baby’s face should NEVER be covered by fabric.
6. The baby’s head should be supported.

While there are slings which fit all of these safety rules,(examples can be seen here) ANY baby carrier can be dangerous if the instructions are not followed and parents are not educated on use. This is true of any baby product on the market today.