US 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 slings had been sold to the UK market, although an unknown number could still be in stores.
Infantino said that it was working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Trading Standards in the UK in an ongoing investigation of the baby carriers.
It said in a statement: "Our top priority is the safety of infants whose parents and caregivers use our products, and we highly value the trust that mothers and families place in the company's products every day. Infantino is announcing a voluntary replacement programme for the Infantino SlingRider infant baby carriers to address concerns raised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This action is being taken in the US and Canada and also the UK and other European countries."
en]Slings have been promoted by baby experts as a way to calm fussy babies or for nursing mothers who can breast-feed their children in the sling.[/en]
Baby experts and breast-feeding advocates insist that not all slings are dangerous. They say carriers that keep a newborn baby solidly against the mother's body in an upright position are safe.