Wear your baby, safely

By Heather

I loved “wearing” my baby and keeping my hands free to do other things (type, eat, gesture, drink…). I had almost every variation and flavor of baby-wearing devices including at least one homemade wrap.

I am so sad to report that a few tragic infant deaths have triggered multiple recent recalls of slings for various falling hazards as well as suffocation. So scary.

Daniel DeNoon from WebMD offers these tips (and more) for safely using a sling. Some of these tips are applicable for all baby-wearing devices so I hope all parents take heed.

1. Do not use baby slings for infants under 4 months. Use a sling only after your baby has proper head control.

2. Make sure your child’s face is visible at all times; it shouldn’t be covered by any fabric or pressed too tightly into your body.

3. Make certain your child isn’t hunched over so that his or her chin touches the chest.

4. Check on your child frequently.

I hope that baby-wearing fans can continue to keep their little ones safe and cozy like Whitney and baby Scarlett (pictured).