Infant death prompts baby sling recall

WASHINGTON — The death of a 10-day-old boy in Texas has prompted the recall of some handmade baby slings.

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission urged parents on Wednesday to immediately stop using the infant slings from Sprout Stuff in Austin, Texas — saying the slings pose a suffocation risk.

The boy died in Round Rock, Texas, in 2007, the agency said.

About 40 of the Sprout Stuff infant ring slings were sold directly to consumers between October 2006 and May 2007. They are made of cloth that threads through a ring. "Sprout Stuff" is printed on the back side of the tail's hem.

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum has previously warned of a suffocation risk for babies in slings, which wrap around parents' chests so they can carry their babies or just "wear" them to stay close.

The agency has investigated at least 13 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers over the last 20 years, including the Texas boy. One other fatality is still being investigated. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months.

In its general sling warning in March, CPSC said a sling's fabric can press against a baby's nose and mouth, suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Another danger involves slings where the baby is cradled in a curved or "C-like" position that can cause a baby to flop its head forward, chin-to-chest, restricting the infant's ability to breathe.

Also in March, more than 1 million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled after claims linking them to three infant deaths.

In the Sprout Stuff recall, the company is trying to contact people who bought its ring slings. Consumers can contact Sprout Stuff at 877-319-3103 to return the sling for a full refund.