Federal Safety Standard for Infant Sling Carriers

Details

Published on Tuesday, 17 January 2017 14:44

CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for Infant Sling Carriers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To help keep infants and babies safe, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal mandatory standard intended to improve the safety of infant sling carriers and prevent deaths and injuries to young children.

Infant sling carriers are worn by the parent or caregiver and are designed to carry an infant/toddler in an upright or reclined position. Slings generally are intended for infants and toddlers between 8 and 35 pounds. Designs typically range from unstructured hammock-shaped products that suspend from the caregiver’s body, to long lengths of material or fabric that wrap around the caregiver’s body.

The new federal safety standard incorporates the most recent voluntary standard developed by ASTM International (ASTM F2907-15), Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Sling Carriers, with one modification regarding label attachments. CPSC’s rule modifies the ASTM standard to make warning labels more permanent by preventing the labels from being attached to the sling carrier along only one side of the label.

The mandatory standard contains several requirements for sling carriers including:

• loading to ensure that the sling can carry up to three times the manufacturer’s maximum recommended weight,
• structural integrity to ensure that after all testing, there are no seam separations, fabric tears, breakage, etc., and
• occupant retention to prevent the child being carried from falling out of the sling during normal use.

In addition, the standard requires sling carriers to come with warning labels and instructional literature. These requirements include:

• pictures to show the proper position of a child in the sling,
• a warning statement about the suffocation hazard posed by slings and prevention measures,
• warning statements about children falling out of slings, and
• a reminder for caregivers to check the buckles, snaps, rings and other hardware to make sure no parts are broken.

Between January 2003 and September 2016, 159 incidents were reported to CPSC involving sling carriers; 17 were fatal and 142 were nonfatal. Of the 142 nonfatal incidents, 67 reports involved an injury to the infant during use of the product. Among the 67 reported nonfatal injuries, 10 involved hospitalizations.

The effective date for the new mandatory infant sling carrier standard is one year after the final rule is published in the Federal Register.

CPSC advises parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies.

• In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of still developing neck muscles. The sling’s fabric can hold the baby in a position that blocks the baby’s breathing and rapidly suffocates a baby within a minute or two.
• Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

CPSC recommends the following tips to parents and caregivers when using infant sling carriers.

• Make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer.
• If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so the baby’s head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother’s body.
• Be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling, always making sure nothing is blocking baby’s nose and mouth and baby’s chin is away from her chest.

The Commission is required by The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, Section 104(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), to issue consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. In the past seven years, the Commission has approved new federal safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, including full-size cribs, non-full-size cribs, play yards, baby walkers, baby bath seats, children’s portable bed rails, strollers, toddler beds, infant swings, handheld infant carriers, soft infant carriers, framed infant carriers, bassinets, cradles and portable hook-on chairs.

The Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the standard on January 11, 2017.

Prepare for Winter Storms & Extreme Cold

Details

Published on Tuesday, 10 January 2017 15:47

Be prepared for winter storms and extreme cold.

Ready.gov/winter-weather explains what actions to take when you receive a winter weather storm alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during, and after a winter storm or extreme cold.

Notice of Election

Details

Published on Tuesday, 13 December 2016 17:19

The Health Department Board of Trustees of Andrew County will hold an election for two Board Member positions for two-year terms each (April 2017–April 2019) and one Board Member position to fulfill the reminder of a four-year term (April 2017-April 2020) at the General Municipal Election, Tuesday April 4, 2017. The first day to file a Declaration of Candidacy for the Board Member positions is Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 7:00 a.m. Filing will remain open through Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Anyone qualified to file for the position, shall file at the Andrew County Health Department, 106 North 5th Street, Savannah, MO, during regular business hours, excluding holidays.

National Safe Toys and Gifts Month

Details

Published on Wednesday, 30 November 2016 16:39

December is National Safe Toys and Gifts Month

The Andrew County Health Department would like to remind you to be safe and play safe this holiday season:

Balloons

Children can choke or suffocate on deflated or broken balloons. Keep deflated balloons away from children younger than eight years old. Discard broken balloons immediately. 

Small balls and other toys with small parts

For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.

Scooters and other riding toys

Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast, and falls could be deadly. helmets and safety gear should be worn properly at all times and they should sized to fit.

Magnets

High-powered magnets sets are dangerous and should be kept away from children. Whether marketed for children or adults, building and play sets with small magnets should be kept away from small children.

Button Batteries

When a child swallows a button battery, the saliva triggers and electrical current. This causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in a little as two hours. The scary part is that it may not be obvious at first that there is something wrong, since kids can still breath and act normally after ingesting a battery, though it may seem like your child has a cold or flu. Repairing the damage from battery ingestion is painful and often involves multiple surgeries. Even after a battery is removed, kids can experience terrible side effects to their vocal chords and windpipe.

This project is/was funded in part by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Maternal and Child Health Services Contract #DH150006012 and is/was supported by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #B04MC28109, Maternal and Child Health Services for $9,095,311, of which $0 is from non-governmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.