Carrying your newborn in a sling or fabric carrier can be a positive experience for you both, as long as you follow safety guidelines

Wearing your baby in a sling is great for you and your bub

When your baby moves from the womb to the outside world, she’s faced with many changes. It’s noisy and bright, the temperature fluctuates and she’s probably missing that reassuring, regular rhythm of your heartbeat.

Many mums believe one of the kindest ways to ease babies into their new environment is by 『babywearing』, the practice of strapping their baby close to their body in a fabric sling or carrier.

Studies show being carried in this way helps babies regulate their temperature, heart rate and breathing, as well as build close bonds.

Babywearing is growing in popularity and has many supporters, including the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), but safety warnings have been issued by different authorities over the use of slings, which are the frameless fabric type of carriers tied or attached to the carer’s body.

Between 2010 and 2013 three babies in Australia died after being suffocated in a fabric sling. After the most recent death, of a three-week-old baby girl in Brisbane in March 2013, the Queensland coroner requested the state’s Office of Fair Trading to devise a safety awareness campaign.

The TICKS Checklist

In June this year, a campaign promoting the safe use of slings was launched featuring online videos, brochures and a checklist called TICKS, based on US guidelines.

Dave Strachan, manager of product safety at the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, says babywearing is popular, as well as practical and safe, as long as parents and carers follow these safety messages.

「People feel strongly about babywearing and believe it’s a good thing to do,」 Dave says. 「We don』t have a problem with this, provided the product is safe and people do it properly.」

Take care

The biggest risk with wearing your baby in a sling is suffocation, as she cannot move out of dangerous positions. If she is carried in a position where her chin is against her chest, her airways become blocked.

If her mouth and nose are pushed against the sling fabric, breathing will also be difficult. 「This is particularly true for babies with low birth weight or who have a cold or respiratory type of illness, and parents need to be mindful of this,」 says Dave.

"Babies carried in slings have also been shown to cry less, fall asleep quicker and possibly have fewer colic and reflux symptoms."

「We found that lots of people want to be confident about how to use the slings, and were a bit hesitant about the information given in a shop.」

There are many makes and varieties of slings which, unlike other carriers, do not have a solid back or frame or leg openings. Dave says parents need to be extra cautious when using pouch-type fabric slings as infants can potentially slip down into the pouch and be completely covered by the sling.

「The key message is to keep bub in view and close enough to kiss at all times, but being in a pouch may not meet these criteria,」 says Dave. Other risks include falls and injury to the baby while the carer is carrying out other tasks.

In Australia there are currently no safety standards governing slings, although the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is considering the issue.

Baby benefits

Provided they』re used safely, slings are strongly supported by many in the community, including the Australian Breastfeeding Association, which has endorsed the Hug-a-Bub wrap-style slings and sells them through its retailer, Mothers』 Direct.

ABA president Rachel Fuller says the organisation has been supporting babywearing for more than 50 years as a helpful tool in breastfeeding. 「Having mother and baby close together helps with breastfeeding because a mother can more easily learn her baby’s cues and respond to her needs,」 says Rachel.

Other organisations to back babywearing include the Chiropractor’s Association of Australia. It has endorsed the Ergobaby wrap, which has bub’s legs spread and her thighs supported to the knee joints.

Anita Lincolne-Lomax, director of babywearing products retailer, Babes in Arms, says studies have identified many benefits, including babies feeling safe and comforted by the familiarity of their parents』 body rhythms, which can decrease stress hormones.

"Babies carried in slings have also been shown to cry less, fall asleep quicker and possibly have fewer colic and reflux symptoms," Anita says.

Christine Kininmonth, babywearing consultant and director of Fertile Mind, says some benefits are only now just being examined. 「Imagine what extraordinary developmental and physical milestones may be proven by medical practitioners in the future,」 she says.

So, if you』re thinking of babywearing, it’s definitely worth a go – just as long as you observe the TICKS advice and have a spare hour or two to wrap yourself and bub up in knots.

Sling Tips

- Take your baby with you when you venture out to buy a sling.

- Make sure you can use it safely before you leave the shop.

- Have someone help you when you put the sling on for the first time.

- Your balance will be affected when you wear the sling at first, so be aware of this to avoid falls.

- Check the sling on a regular basis to ensure it’s still tight and your child is still visible and safe. Remember that babies can be in difficulty without making any noise or movement.

- For more information and advice regarding the TICKS guidelines visit Fair Trading.

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