Almost all babies love to be held, some let you know their displeasure at being put down more than others.
We know that when held babies heart rate drops and they are calmer, we are after all a carrying species. Babies know that if they aren’t being held they are potentially in danger and our little ones have a survival instinct (that dangerous animal that’s stalking up your road right now could come and eat a baby for dinner, it’s a very primitive survival instinct)
Holding your baby close (in arms or a sling/carrier) increases oxytocin which is good for the adult, baby (and breastfeeding if mum is carrying). It also helps us to be more responsive to our babies needs as we are likely to notice feeding cues early.
However I have been hearing concerns about baby’s safety when being carried. Many carriers are safety tested but still have the potential to be used in an unsafe way, other carriers haven’t been tested (it’s a costly process and isn’t legally required), some of these could be perfectly safe if used appropriately others I know are hard to use in a safe manner.
Our NCT library only has safety tested carriers in it (and they are all purchased new, retired after 5 years or 104 weeks of hire). EN 13209-2:2015 is the standard and this cover various things including:
The fabric which may well touch baby’s skin and be sucked by baby is tested for Chemical hazards and flammability.
The carrier is tested for choking and ingestion hazards due to small parts and entanglement hazards.
There must be no gaps where baby could slip out.
Weight testing. Some carriers are tested to a certain weight to ensure the buckles & stitching can cope. This can be rather misleading. Just because a carrier won’t fall to pieces at a
certain weight doesn’t mean the carrier is safe or comfortable. Sadly I often hear parent say their carrier will last till little one is 4 when I know that by the time they are 18mths/2yrs it will no longer be big enough. The panel needs to come up to baby’s armpits for safety. Also the
bottom weight doesn’t necessarily mean your baby will fit into the carrier safely at that age. If you have any questions or concerns always ask someone who knows.
Age recommendations can also be misleading as each child is a different size so a carrier that might fit one newborn perfectly might not fit another.
The most important thing for baby’s safety (particularly under 4 months) is ensuring their
ability to breath.
Some years ago the TICKS guidelines were devised to keep babies safe. These guidelines apply to any carrier.
We need to keep the carrier TIGHT to ensure baby doesn’t slump, when a baby slumps the chin can fall onto the chest compromising the airway, baby needs to be well supported at all times.
We need to be able to see baby at all times to ensure they are OK and breathing, there should be no fabric near baby’s face so there is free airflow.
We need baby to be on the hard part of our chest, if lower the baby’s face could fall into soft tissue which could prove to be a suffocation risk. This is less of an issue for men but they should aim to have the baby where they would naturally hold baby.
We always finish with a good pelvic tuck, this will increase comfort for everyone and baby’s head will then rest on your chest. This is also an excellent position for baby’s hips (and the position they would naturally lie on our chest)
This is an alternative way of checking safety, ensuring baby’s airway is safe and there’s air circulating round baby’s face (nothing covering it), baby’s body position is well supported, no slumping and nice pelvic tuck (see above) and finally that everyone is comfortable.
We always want everyone to be safe and happy. If you need help achieving this or want anything checking do get in touch.
Tessa, Bedford Sling Consultant tessasling@gmail.com
North Beds NCT sling hire every Thursday 10.30-12 at St John’s church hall MK42 0DL
Mid Beds sling library, first Wednesday of the month at Flitwick village hall 1-2.30pm
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