Infantino baby slings recalled in U.S.A., Canada and Europe

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Infantino baby slings recalled in U.S. and Canada

March 24, 2010 -- More than 1 million baby slings made by Californian company Infantino are being recalled in the U.S. and Canada after reports of three deaths involving them. U.S. and Canadian consumer watchdogs announced the recall along with Infantino of two infant carriers, the SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was aware of three deaths in slings reported last year. A free voluntary replacement programme has been announced. One million infant slings were being recalled in the U.S. and 15,000 in Canada, the U.S. CPSC said in its statement. "CPSC advises consumers to immediately stop using these slings for infants younger than four months of age due to a risk of suffocation and contact Infantino for a free replacement product," it said. The CPSC was, it added, "aware of three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009". It said these involved an infant of seven weeks in Philadelphia, an infant of six days in Salem and an infant of three months in Cincinnati.

In a statement on his company's website, Infantino president Jack Vresics said the recall was being announced to "address concerns raised" by the CPSC. "Our top priority is the safety of infants whose parents and caregivers use our products," he said. Mr Vresics said the San Diego-based company would co-operate "closely with CPSC as it continues its investigation of all baby slings". It would offer, he added, a free replacement baby carrier, activity gym or shopping cart cover to any affected consumer.

Earlier in March, the CPSC issued a broad warning about sling-style baby carriers, saying they posed a potential suffocation risk to infants, especially babies under four months. It did not single out a specific type of sling or manufacturer. "In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles," that warning said. "The sling's fabric can press against an infant's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate." Babies who had a low birth weight, were born prematurely or had breathing problems such as colds were also at risk, the U.S. watchdog noted. In the earlier warning, it said it had identified or was investigating at least 14 deaths in the last 20 years associated with baby slings.

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Rappel d'un million de sacs porte-bébé U.S.

Mercredi 24 Mars 2010 -- La société Infantino, basée en Californie, a rappelé plus d'un million de sacs porte-bébé vendus aux Etats-Unis et au Canada, après que la Commission américaine de sécurité des consommateurs a identifié au moins trois morts d'enfants par asphyxie liées à ces sacs. Le rappel concerne un million de sacs porte-bébé aux Etats-Unis et 15.000 au Canada. Deux modèles sont concernés: l'Infantino SlingRider et le Wendy Bellissimo. Le patron de la société, Jack Vresics, a assuré que son entreprise collaborait étroitement avec la Commission de sécurité des consommateurs (CPSC) pour mener ce rappel à bien. "Nous continuerons à être leader sur ce marché et à travailler étroitement avec la CPSC pendant tout le temps qu'elle enquêtera sur les sacs porte-bébé", est-il indiqué dans le communiqué d'Infantino. Dans un communiqué publié sur son site dont l'AFP a pris connaissance, la CPSC indique que "trois enfants sont morts en 2009" alors qu'ils se trouvaient dans un de ces sacs. Ces trois cas se sont tous produits aux Etats-Unis.

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Fears over baby slings spark recall in Europe

March 25, 2010 -- A baby sling was recalled across the UK and Europe after claims linking it to three infant deaths in the United States. U.S. company Infantino recalled the SlingRider, saying customers should stop using the product immediately and return it for a free replacement. An Infantino spokesman said 10,000 of the recalled baby slings had been sold to the UK market. An unknown number of the baby slings could still be in stores. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings. Babies who had a low birth weight, were born prematurely or had breathing problems could be at risk from the baby slings. Infantino said it was working with the CPSC and UK Trading Standards.

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Grieving mothers blame baby slings for infant deaths

March 25, 2010 (CNN) -- It wasn't a long walk to Lisa Cochran's car in the Costco parking lot, but by the time she got there her infant son was near death. Cochran and her grandmother had just enjoyed a hot dog at the Salem, Oregon, wholesale outlet. She had 7-day-old Derrik out of his baby carrier as she ate and people at nearby tables asked about the infant's age and expressed amazement that Cochran was already out and about after the pregnancy. She put Derrik back in his Infantino "SlingRider" and headed out to the parking lot, but something was amiss when she reached the car, she said. "He was not the right color. He was yellow. He had purple spots from where the sling rubbed marks on his face," said Cochran, 27. Cochran called 911. Her fiancé, Jerrid Fowler, administered CPR. An ambulance arrived and paramedics also tried to revive the infant. "By the time I got to the hospital, they told me they weren't able to save him," she said. Cochran filed a lawsuit in January, asking for millions of dollars in damages and alleging that Infantino was negligent and liable for her son's May 7, 2009, death. The death certificate cited compression asphyxia/suffocation as Derrik's cause of death, Cochran said.

Infantino issued a recall Wednesday of two baby slings, the "SlingRider" and the "Wendy Bellissimo," offering customers replacement slings. The San Diego, California-based company said consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately but did not take responsibility for any deaths. "Our company is comprised of moms, dads, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents and we care deeply about the quality and safety of our products," President Jack Vresics said in a statement. "All of our products go through rigorous testing and we work closely with governmental agencies as well as other third-party testing organizations continually to ensure the safety of our products."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about the use of certain baby slings, saying it had identified 14 deaths with sling-style carriers, most of them in children younger than 4 months. On Tuesday, Health Canada issued a joint statement with the agency, saying three of the deaths appeared to occur in one of Infantino's slings. About 1 million of the slings were recalled in the United States, and about 15,000 were affected in Canada, according to the joint release. Around 14,000 of the slings have been recalled in Europe.

"In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling's fabric can press against an infant's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two," the joint statement said. "Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate."

Attorneys for Infantino referred requests for comment to a public relations firm that answered questions and sent CNN the statement from the company's president. The company is working with CPSC in its investigation, has alerted retailers and written letters to individual customers, spokeswoman Amy Colton said in an e-mail. The company has not filed any pleadings in the case except for a notice to remove the case from the Marion County Circuit Court in Oregon to the state's U.S. District Court.

Cochran isn't the only mother blaming Infantino's "SlingRider" for an infant's death. Anthoinette Medley is planning to sue Infantino for the February 20, 2009, death of 3-month-old Nelsir, said her lawyer, Alan Feldman. His twin, Timir, was in an identical sling over Medley's other shoulder as she walked through the Gallery at Market East in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She saw an old friend who hadn't seen her children yet, Feldman said, and Medley was eager to show them off. "That's when she discovered a tiny bit of blood on the baby's bib and ran to the bathroom," Feldman said. Nelsir was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and pronounced dead later, Feldman said. "I will never get to hear him call me Mommy. I will never get to see him take a first step," Anthoinette Medley told CNN affiliate WPVI. Feldman said he is not satisfied with Infantino's recall. "If you recognize that your product is not safe, and you realize that babies have died, you should stop babies and moms from using the product," he said. Infantino's president said the company's announcement of a free replacement program reflects its commitment to safety as its highest priority. "As a company, Infantino conducts extensive safety testing internally as well as with third-party experts, regardless of whether official safety standards have been established. We will continue to play a leadership role in the industry and to cooperate closely with CPSC as it continues its investigation of all baby slings," Vresics said.

Cochran said the sling came highly recommended, especially for breast-feeding mothers. A neighbor had one, she said, as did a friend's cousin. She even carried Derrik to his first doctor's visit in the sling. "There were a lot of people who had this sling, and it seemed like a great thing," she said. Cochran said she broke down after Derrik's death. Simple chores became extremely taxing. She neglected going to the grocery store and bank. She had trouble getting out of bed, showering, even talking on the phone. "I was kind of hysterical. I was kind of not quite with it for several months, actually. I neglected going to the grocery stores or anywhere I would commonly frequent," she said. "It was just hard to even be in a situation like this because the first thing everyone asks is, 'How's the baby?' " Cochran, a manager for a housecleaning service in Keizer, lost Derrik's twin in the first trimester of her pregnancy, she said. She is pregnant again with a girl who is due in June. "I'm doing a lot better, especially now that I have another one on the way," she said. "Hopefully, there won't be any more babies that die and any more families that have to go through what me and my family have gone through."