Inadequate safety controls for baby slings and carriers
First to latest report 4 Apr 2014 — 12 Dec 2024
Reports that mention this concern
2
Times this concern has been raised
4
Stated actions linked to this concern
10
What this concern includes
Includes safety-control failures specifically related to baby slings or carriers, including design or positioning guidance, warnings, breastfeeding-in-carrier advice, research or standards needed to identify and control positional-asphyxia and related risks.
What is not included
Excludes general safe-sleeping concerns unrelated to use of a baby sling or carrier.
Excludes hoisting harnesses, patient slings and other clinical or lifting equipment unless the assertion specifically concerns baby slings or carriers.
Excludes generic infant-care, parenting or product-information deficiencies without a material baby-sling or carrier safety risk.
Excludes isolated injuries or deaths where no continuing deficiency in baby-sling or carrier safety controls is asserted.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
British Standards Institution1
Department of Health and Social Care1
NHS England1
Office for Product Safety and Standards1
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust1
Executive non-departmental public body1
Ministerial department1
NHS trust1
Product safety regulator1
Standards body1
Reports and published responses 2 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
West London
Concerns raised2
Lack of guidance on breastfeeding young babies in carriers/slings
Lack of safety and positioning information for young babies in carriers/slings
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
CAPT
Department of Health and Social Care
NCT
NHS England
Office for Product Safety and Standards
the Lullaby Trust
The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.9
Department of Health and Social Care
Review the prominence of existing baby-carrier safety information on the Better Health – Start for Life website and in personalised emails.
Department of Health and Social Care
Consider ways to supplement Better Health – Start for Life content about baby carriers and breastfeeding.
Department of Health and Social Care
Engage key stakeholders, including UNICEF UK, to develop appropriate messaging about baby carriers and breastfeeding.
Department of Health and Social Care
Work with NHS England to establish consistent guidance on sling use and breastfeeding.
CAPT and NCT and the Lullaby Trust and The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
Develop revised parental guidance on hands-free breastfeeding using slings and carriers.
CAPT and NCT and the Lullaby Trust and The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
Provide consistent messaging that hands-free breastfeeding using slings and carriers is unsafe and should not be attempted.
NHS England
Work with the NHS.UK website team to make sling-safety guidance easier to find and link it to relevant breastfeeding information.
NHS England
Refer safe sling-use advice for consideration in NICE guidance.
CAPT and NCT and the Lullaby Trust and The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents
Convene a multidisciplinary roundtable to agree simple, consistent sling and carrier messaging, supported by accurate images and visual assets.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.6
Department of Health and Social Care
Baby sling manufacturers are responsible for providing clear guidance on product suitability and safe use during breastfeeding.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Office for Product Safety and Standards
The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England are responsible for responding on baby-carrier and breastfeeding advice.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
NHS England
Product manufacturers bear significant responsibility for providing parents with adequate guidance on the safe use of newborn carriers and slings.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
NHS England
NICE is responsible for considering whether recommendations on safe sling use should be included in routine antenatal advice.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Office for Product Safety and Standards
The British Standards Institution is responsible for changes to the voluntary baby-carrier safety standard.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Office for Product Safety and Standards
Businesses remain responsible for ensuring product safety instructions reflect the latest safety advice.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Inner North London
Concerns raised2
Insufficient research and restricted knowledge of positional asphyxia risks from baby slings
Failure to publicise baby sling positional asphyxia risks to parents
Linked response
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Investigated the feasibility of surveying infant deaths in unusual scenarios such as slings and car seats.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Data protection, consent, rarity and locally held uncollated records prevent a useful survey or prospective study from being undertaken.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Further progress would require coroners to liaise with sudden infant death clinicians and release available child death review data.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
A study cannot be run from one centre, and undertaking one was outside the respondent’s professional interests and experience.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.