New Federal Standard to Improve Safety of Infant Slings Takes Effect

"If you, or anyone you know, uses an infant sling carrier, a new federal standard aimed at making sling carriers safer is now in effect. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved the standard to prevent deaths and injuries to young children.  The new standard applies to any infant sling carrier manufactured or imported after January 30^th 2018.

What are the new rules?

Among other things, all infant slings must have permanently attached warning labels and come with instructions, like illustrated diagrams, to show the proper position of a child in the sling. Warning labels must include statements about:

• The suffocation hazards posed by slings and prevention measures,
• The hazards of children falling out of slings, and
• A reminder for caregivers to check the buckles, snaps, rings and other hardware to make sure no parts are broken

The mandatory standard also requires sling carriers to:

• Be able to carry up to three times the manufacturer’s maximum recommended weight,
• Be more durable to avoid seam separations, fabric tears, breakage, etc., and
• Be able to keep the child being carried from falling out of the sling during normal use...".

Infant slings