Baby Sling Dangers | Portland Product Liability Attorney

Posted on January 25, 2010 in Defective Product Litigation,Our Blog

It seems as if there has been an increase in the number of recalls and issues relating to some infant products, which is very unfortunate. Recently there was an article in the Oregonian about a woman in Keizer, OR, who lost her infant due to suffocation from an Infantino Sling-Rider baby sling. She has filed a $4 million lawsuit against the manufacturer and seller of the product.

The fabric, bag-type sling is worn across the chest so that the infant sits right against the wearer’s chest. This is believed to promote bonding with the baby. Regardless of whether this is true or not, the fact remains that some manufactured baby slings have had some unfortunate results. According to Consumer Reports, 37 infants have been seriously hurt and 7 babies have died from such baby slings over the course of 11 years.

The Keizer infant was just six days old when he died. His parents were out on a shopping excursion, and he was being carried in the sling by his mother. The baby was quiet during the outing, so his parents thought he was asleep. The baby’s face was obscured because of the design of the sling, so his parents were not aware there were any problems. When they checked on the child, they noticed his skin was discolored, and he was not breathing. Paramedics were called, and the baby was rushed to the hospital, but sadly it was too late.

Parents buy these products trusting that they are safe and helpful. I guess the lesson here is you can just never be too careful.