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Recall: Infantino Baby Slings
Earlier this month, Inez Tenenbaum, head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, told MSNBC that her organization intended to formally warn parents of the dangers of carrying babies in slings. Today, the agency took that general warning a step further by recalling 1 million Infantino “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” infant slings due to the risk of suffocation. An additional 15,000 are being recalled in Canada.
CPSC says these slings pose a suffocation hazard and should not be used to carry babies under the age of four months.
To identify whether or not your baby sling is included the the Infantino sling recall, take a look at the plastic slider located on the strap. If it is stamped “Infantino,” check the instruction/warning label inside the carrier. If “Infantino” and “SlingRider” are printed on that label, compare the model number there to the list of recalled model numbers at the Infantino Web site.
For the “Wendy Bellissimo” sling carriers, check the sewn-in label inside the carrier. If the model number is 3937500H7 or 3937501H7, your sling is included in the recall.
The recalled Infantino “Sling Rider” carriers were sold in the U.S. and Canada from January 2003 through March 2010 at Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies “R” Us and BJ’s Wholesale. They were also available at various other retailers as well as on the Web for between $25 and $30 each. The Infantino “Wendy Bellissimo” slings were sold exclusively at Babies “R” Us.
If your sling is included in the recall, CPSC advises you to stop using it immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product. You will be offered a choice of a Wrap & Tie infant carrier, a 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or a 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym. In addition, they will throw in a Jittery Pals Rattle. Contact Infantino by calling (866) 860-1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.
Though there is no hard data revealing how many children have ever been injured or died while being carried in an infant sling, CPSC has been warning of the dangers for years. While those warnings have been general and the recalls often related to stitching or fasteners, this one is different. CPSC says they are aware of three suffocation deaths of babies being carried in these Infantino slings in 2009 alone.
Image: cpsc.gov
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4 Comments
PlumbLucky commented on Mar 24 10 at 11:41 amInteresting that the photo that accompanied the article I found this a.m. on MSNBC showed a woman and baby in what was most definitely NOT one of the recalled slings…
K commented on Mar 24 10 at 1:56 pmThose infantino slings are terrible. My sister bought one years ago and as soon as we put the baby in, we knew it was poorly designed. The babys head is pushed forward so much that it cuts off their airway. You’d be better off getting a wrap sling or a SSC.
Jenny commented on Mar 24 10 at 4:54 pmHow sad that babies have died. I used the pictured sling with my son in 2006, and never heard a word about any warnings on it. Lucky for us we never had any problems. He actually loved the thing, although it was havoc on my neck, shoulders, and back. It’s now going in the do-not-resell pile.
Heather commented on Mar 25 10 at 1:26 pmI am glad they recalled this specific sling. We had it and yes it was poorly designed. What worries me is the fact that somebody else, don’t remember who, said that all slings are dangerous, and you should stop using any sling. That is just crazy, women have been using slings to carry their babies since the beginning of time. Sure maybe some babies have died from suffocation over the years, and for those parents I am sorry. But the fact remains that most babies who are carried in slings benefit far more from being in the sling then from any possible dangers of it. Danger is all around us, we can’t live in a bubble.
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