Infantino LLC is recalling one million infant slings following reports of three infant deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned earlier this month that parents should exercise extreme caution when using the slings and said it had learned of at least 14 deaths associated with sling-type carriers in the last 20 years.
The most recent deaths, all in 2009, involved a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, Pa.; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore.; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Infantino SlingRider, is a soft fabric baby carrier with a padded shoulder strap that is worn by parents and caregivers to carry an infant weighing up to 20 lbs. Infantino is printed on the plastic slider located on the strap. Infantino, SlingRider and the item number are printed on the instruction/warning label inside the baby sling carrier.
Wendy Bellissimo branded sling carriers were sold exclusively at Babies R Us and have a sewn-in label on the inside of the sling strap that says in part "Wendy Bellissimo Media, Inc." and lists Item numbers 3937500H7 and 3937501H7.Infantino LLC sold the slings in the United States and Canada from January 2003 through March 2010 at Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, Babies R Us, BJs Wholesale, various baby and childrens stores and other retailers nationwide, and on the Web at Amazon.com, for between $25 and $30.
The product was manufactured in China and Thailand.
Consumers should stop using the recalled slings immediately and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement product, with a choice of a Wrap & Tie infant carrier, or a 2 in 1 Shopping Cart Cover, or a 3 in 1 Grow & Play Activity Gym. A Jittery Pals Rattle will also be provided. Contact Infantino toll-free at (866) 860-1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firms Web site at www.infantino.com
The CPSC warned that parents should not attempt to fix the carriers. Once the carriers have been replaced, the recalled models should be destroyed so that they are not inadvertently used by someone else.
The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
