Infantino Announces Sling Recall

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Infant Sling Safety

Today we received news of the Infantino sling recall, and the Today Show interviewed one of the mothers whose baby died in the sling. It goes without saying that we are deeply saddened by this mother's story of her baby's death,” said Barbara Nicholson, API Cofounder. “And hopefully this recall will heighten every parent's awareness of the importance of proper positioning of their baby in a sling. Unfortunately there is a tremendous lack of research on babywearing safety...there is not one study that proves that baby slings are actually the cause (or not the cause) of these deaths. We may never know if these babies were medically fragile, or perhaps had a SIDS death in the sling. Of course, safely using a sling is a key issue, and parents need to be cautious as they would with a car seat, walker, or any device, but there are no data/studies about slings to date. It has been pointed out that the drawings the CPSC released were not based on research either...just a good guess of guidelines/recommendations for proper use of slings. As we say in the API statement on babywearing safety concerns,” Nicholson concluded, “Our hearts go out to parents who have lost babies, and we hope that the good that comes from this is education and awareness, not only of safety, but why slings have been used for centuries all over the world for optimum baby health and well-being.

For more information, read API's Statement on Babywearing Safety Concern (PDF).

Infantino Announces Sling Recall

Infantino Commits to Work with Consumer Product Safety Commission on Ongoing Investigation of Sling-Style Baby Carriers

SAN DIEGO, March 24, 2010 — Infantino President Jack Vresics issued the following statement today:

"At Infantino, our top priority is the safety of infants whose parents and caregivers use our products, and we highly value the trust that mothers and families place in the company’s products every day. Infantino has a well-earned reputation for designing safe and enjoyable products that are manufactured to the highest quality standards.

Infantino is announcing a voluntary replacement program for the Infantino SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo infant baby carriers to address concerns raised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada.

Our company is comprised of moms, dads, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents and we care deeply about the quality and safety of our products. Safety is our number one concern and today's announcement of a free replacement program reflects this commitment. As an industry leader, Infantino has also been working closely with CPSC and other agencies, as well as the international agency ASTM to develop safety standards for baby slings to ensure that these products are safe and that they are used appropriately. We will continue to play a leadership role in the industry and to cooperate closely with CPSC as it continues its investigation of all baby slings."

Consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product, including a choice of the Wrap & Tie infant carrier, the 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or the 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym, plus a Jittery Pal Rattle.

Contact Infantino at 866.860.1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

On March 12, 2010, CPSC warned consumers against the use of all sling-style baby carriers in certain circumstances and announced that it was actively investigating all baby sling carriers to determine what additional action may be appropriate.

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