On 17 May 2011 the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) issued a safety alert for the use of baby slings. The alert states that parents and carers should take particular care when using baby slings .

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a baby sling was considered a risk factor (but not determined to be the cause) in the death of a newborn baby in Australia.

The ACCC brochure warns parents that babies have suffocated while being carried in slings because they are not physically able to move themselves from dangerous positions that could block their airways. The two positions that are reported to be of significant danger (particularly to babies under four months old, premature or low birth weight)  are:

1. Lying with a curved back with the chin resting on the chest.

2. Lying with the face pressed against the fabric of the sling or the carer's body.

Click here to read the ACCC brochure with more information about choosing, using and wearing a baby sling.