Slings Recalled: Safety Tips for Safe Sling Use

I read with great sadness about the death of babies in infant slings and the recent Sprout Stuff Sling recall.   The CPSC issued a warning about sling use back in March.

I used all sorts of baby carriers when my two girls were infants-- the Biorn, the Maya Wrap, a sling, and the Ergo Baby.  I carried my babies on hikes, neighborhood walks, while cooking, and kept them close as much as possible.  Many of us parents read about the benefits of babywearing, and of course we want to do the right things to help our babies adjust to the outside world.

Baby carriers are so important to new parents, too.  By getting out and active, moms can recover physically from the birth, and reconnect with the world around them.  

I feel both lucky that my girls were not harmed by my use of the sling, and deeply saddened that some families have lost their sweet babies because of this.  So, as I read this email from Good Housekeeping, I thought I would repost it here on Non-Toxic Kids.

The CSPC’s announcement yesterday to recall Sprout Stuff baby slings and an earlier recall of one    million Infantino baby slings due to infant deaths are raising major concerns associated with this product category.

While cribs, high chairs, and strollers are certified by the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association (JPMA), thereby offering consumer guidance about which tend to be safe, the JPMA does not certify baby slings.  In addition, there isn’t an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standard for the category – or weight recommendations for baby sling use.

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute, Good Housekeeping’s product testing laboratory with a staff of scientists who are dedicated to consumer advocacy, strongly urges consumers to not use baby slings for infants under 4 months.  The baby who died after suffocating in a Sprout Stuff baby sling was only 10 days old. 

It’s important that a child is old enough to have control of his or her head before being carried in the sling.  If parents choose to use a sling for an older baby, the Research Institute recommends following this advice:

*Make sure your child’s face is visible at all times.  It shouldn’t be covered by any fabric.

*Be able to see your child’s entire face when he or she is in a sling.

*Make certain your child isn’t hunched over so that his or her chin touches the chest.

*Make sure your child’s face is not pressed tight against you.

*Be vigilant about checking on your child while he or she is in the sling.

Babywearing can be safe and healthy for all-- with some careful attention.  I know some will disagree with the recommendations to not use a sling until a baby is 4 months old. In those first sleepless months, you need some sort of baby carrier that keeps baby close.  Choosing one where you can monitor the baby's face, and make sure they are "close enough to kiss" is recommended-- and there are more sling safety tips here.  But I thought I would share this, just in case it might save one family from heartbreak.

image: CPSC

The Nut Plan: A severely allergic girl enters kindergarten

Longtime readers of this blog will remember that my oldest daughter (she is 5) has a severe nut allergy.  I've written articles here about nut-free snacks for preschool, nut free cake mixes, and hopeful treatments for nut allergies. 

I've grown a little complacent.  With my girl in a very protective pre-kindergarten class, she's had no trouble.  Her only incidents of anaphylaxis were the original one at one year old, and one this year during a food challenge (in the allergist's office).  All our friends are caring and thoughtful about the food they share with us.  It's easy for us to forget that she has this life threatening allergy.

And let me tell you, it's life threatening. There is some population of folks out there who seem to think of this as a "sensitivity".  That she might just get an itchy rash, and nothing else.  And that we are being over-reactive and overprotective.  If you've ever seen a child in full anaphylaxis, you'd realize how serious the situation can be.  Her eyes swell shut, she looks as if she has been severely beaten, and her throat constricts (not to mention a body full of hives, but those are the least of our worries).

So, as I head into her first year of kindergarten, I need to sit down with the school nurse and make a plan.  And I'm not just a parent of a child with this allergy.  I am a full time teacher as well and I know the realities of public schools.

I read two recent articles lately that were informative.  One was about the hidden places that nuts lurk, and in summer travels, can cause an anaphylaxis response in children with these allergies.  I felt such empathy for these parents, because I could see the same thing happening to us, easily.

The next article was about the school response to severe nut allergies (available for purchase from Kappan).  I do understand the whole idea of wanting to make schools entirely nut free to protect your child.  Having the school nut free seems like a great way to protect your child from a serious reaction, and seems like the best option.  But this article showed me what I already knew inside.  Schools cannot guarantee that they are nut free, and if they do,  they provide a false sense of security.  Sure, folks can do their best to not bring in actual nuts, but what about all those products you know well if you are a parent of a child with a nut allergy, where they lurk?  Just who is going to check every granola bar, sandwich, cookie or cracker?  I know schools, and everybody is busy, busy with educational goals, and their other duties (recess, lunch, study hall).  Their plates are already completely full.  Checking everyone's lunch bags isn't realistic in regular public schools (maybe so in smaller ones).

The article also makes a very good point that if schools are successful in being nut free, what about everywhere else?  Dance classes, summer camps, campgrounds, restaurants-- there are these other places where families and the child will need to learn to deal with the allergy.  Eventually, we've got to prepare the child to take on some of the responsibility of managing the allergy, and releasing the responsibility at appropriate developmental levels.

But back to kindergarten.  What the school can do is provide a clear plan, usually in the form of a 504, and outline all the ways they will work to keep a severely allergic young child safe.  These accommodations can include (among others):

*having no nuts served in the hot lunch program
*providing nut free seating (not a lone table)
*training staff in use of the epi-pen, and how to recognize the first stages of anaphylaxis
*have a strict hand washing policy after lunch
*have no nut classrooms (for in class snacks)
*educating the child (and her classmates) about the allergy 

I'll be meeting with our school nurse to discuss this 504 plan to keep my girl safe.  But I am not naive.  The school can't do it all.  By working closely with teachers, the school chefs, the principal and the nurse, we can have a clear plan for how to manage her allergies at school, especially at her young age.  This plan will grow and change as she does.

Do you have any tips for an approaching school year with a child with a severe allergy? I'd love to hear them!

Watch Toxic America on CNN! (new post on Non-Toxic Nest)

I just wrote about the series Toxic America, airing on CNN tomorrow, June 2nd, and Thursday, June 3rd.  Head on over to Non-Toxic Nest to learn more about what the show will entail, why you should watch it, and what you can do to say enough is enough.  The above promo is clever, but is getting dangerously close to our reality.  It doesn't have to be this way.  We have a right to clean air, food, and water-- and we are going to have to fight for it.