The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is in the process of releasing a warning about baby slings because there have been some incidents involving suffocation due to this product.

What seemed to be the perfect solution for new mothers has become a nightmare for some. Baby slings are used to sooth new babies and keep them warm in an environment much like the womb. The device is worn around the neck and straps across the parent’s chest to keep the baby cocooned in a warm fabric sling. Another big seller for this product was that it allows parents to carry their baby and free up their hands and arms.

Consumer Reports raised concerns two years ago about these slings, particularly SlingRider by Infantino, because of the potential for injury if the child were to fall out of them. They also warn that the shape of these products causes newborn babies, who have very little control of their heads and necks, to bury their heads in their chests which can restrict their ability to breathe. They worry, too, with the child being suffocated by the parents clothing if they were to turn their heads toward the parent’s chest.

In 2007, Infantino’s SlingRider was recalled because of its plastic sliders on the slings strap, but none have been recalled due to suffocation issues.