Jennifer Kerr from the associated press reported on March 24, 2010 that  over 1 million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled Wednesday March 23, 2010.  The slings were recalled after claims linking them to three infant deaths.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings. The agency urged parents to immediately stop using the slings for babies under 4 months.

The recall involves 1 million Infantino "SlingRider" and "Wendy Bellissimo" slings in the United States and 15,000 in Canada.

The slings wrap around the chest so that parents or other caregivers can carry babies without little use of their arms.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also issued a broad warning earlier in March, 2010 about sling-style baby carriers, saying they pose a potential suffocation risk to infants, especially babies under 4 months. Babies who had a low birth weight, were born prematurely or had breathing problems such as colds were also at risk.

At the time, the commission did not single out a specific type of sling or manufacturer. It said it had identified or was investigating at least 14 deaths in the last 20 years associated with baby slings.

In Wednesday's announcement, CPSC said three of the deaths occurred last year and were linked to Infantino slings. It did not say exactly how the babies died.

In its general sling warning earlier this month, CPSC said infants can suffocate in two different ways:

_A sling's fabric can press against a baby's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and suffocating a baby within a minute or two.

_The other scenario involves slings where the baby is cradled in a curved or "C-like" position, nestling the baby below the mother's chest or near her belly. That curved position can cause a baby who doesn't have strong neck control to flop its head forward, chin-to-chest, restricting the infant's ability to breathe. "The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate," warned the commission.

Slings have been promoted by baby experts as a way to calm fussy babies or for nursing moms who can breast-feed their little ones in the sling.

Consumer Reports raised concerns about slings back in 2008, and had called on CPSC to issue a recall of the Infantino SlingRider. Safety advocates criticized the curved position that the baby can fall into while inside the sling.

The Infantino slings being recalled were sold from 2003 through 2010 at several retailers, including Target, Babies R Us and Burlington Coat Factory.

If your baby, or the baby of a friend or family member, was injured or wrongfully killed as a result of the use of one of these infant slings (Infantino brand or any other brand), you should contact us immediately.