Parents are warned baby slings may kill children

London : Parents are being warned about the danger of baby slings made popular by celebrities and ‘yummy mummies' following a number of deaths.

The slings have gained popularity in recent years on the basis that they promote a natural bond between a mother and her new baby.

However, health authorities in the US say the slings pose a risk of suffocation and may have been responsible for the deaths of 14 children.

Too weak

Babies can find their mouths and noses are covered by material yet their neck muscles are so weak in the first few months of life they cannot move to free themselves.

Additionally, where a sling keeps the baby in a curled position, bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply.

Slings, endorsed by celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman, are praised for their practicality because they allow parents to keep their baby close to them while leaving their hands free.

They are also presented as a natural way to carry a baby, based on the notion that the warmth and closeness to the parent's heartbeat creates a feeling of security.

TV presenter Myleene Klass has her own range of slings, while Mothercare has reported a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in sales. The Mumsnet forum for parents heralds slings as a ‘great idea for getting around with your child'.

But now an investigation has been launched in the US into 14 deaths associated with baby slings over the last 20 years, including three in 2009.