Baby sling manufacturer Infantino recalls more than one millions slings

March 26, 2010 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News, Product News

Infantino recalled more than one million of its slings in Canada, the UK and the US, following several warnings that they could kill infants.

Baby sling manufacturer Infantino has followed up on several warnings and recalled many of its slings, according to news out of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday.

On March 10 the U.S. government announced its intention to issue warnings about baby slings, and did so several days later. The Infantino Slingrider sling was under particular scrutiny by independent rating service Consumer Reports, which was calling for CPSC action on the sling.

“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),” Infantino said in a company statement. “One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada.”

Different products are being recalled depending on where consumers live. The easiest way to determine if an Infantino product is being included in a recall is by visiting their Customer Service Center online or calling 866.860.1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific time (U.S.) Monday through Friday.

The customer service Web site breaks down recalls by Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. After selecting your region, choose the option “Help me determine if my product is included in this recall.”

In the U.K., Rebecca Ward of the Consortium of UK Sling Manufacturers and Retailers responded to the news in a statement, saying: “We are pleased that steps have been taken to ensure that using a baby sling is a safe way to carry your baby. If you are using a ‘bag style’ baby carrier and have concerns, we urge you to contact the manufacturer.”

“The majority of baby carriers and slings are still safe to use if they hold baby in proper alignment and fit snugly by design and instruction. These safe designs of sling include shallow pouch-style slings, ring slings, soft carriers and wrap slings.”

The CPSC posted diagrams on its site demonstrating how to properly use a bag-style soft baby sling.