All this being said, I don’t like the scare that’s being thrown out about this specific carrier. You could have some other type of carrier that was poorly made and have an equally tragic accident with it. Any number of things could happen within your household that result in death from something that was originally safe, but was misused. Think about the catastrophe that could happen if a negligent parent or caregiver wasn’t careful to make sure baby doesn’t smack their head on the sharp corner of the faucet in the bathtub. Or, even worse, the tragedy that could come from the baby left unattended in the bath water. We aren’t seeing huge warnings about bathtubs. What we do see is advice recommending care when bathing a child. The same concept should go for Ring Slings. The Ring Sling is not the problem, it’s the lack of vigilance on the sling wearer’s part. It should go without saying that anything you use for, around, with, under, or by your baby should be used with care and an understanding of how to keep the entire situation safe.

So, the conclusion I’ve come up with? This warning is well meaning, but really, it’s not the sling at fault; the misuse of the sling is to blame. Anyone selling these baby carriers should be aware of the risk, and should also make this risk apparent to anyone using their slings. But, such a negative regard for this useful product is really unnecessary. The good things about a Ring Sling by far out weigh the bad. For one, using a baby carrier keeps your child close to you. Closer, hopefully and usually, means that baby is being well cared for. In a sling your baby can be comforted far more than any swing, chair, or crib can offer. Instead of being across the house to hear your baby crying, you can be aware of the baby just beginning to awaken and offer comfort, food, or whatever it is they need before the baby gets to the point where they need to cry. The main reason for using such a baby carrier is to be closer to baby and to be more available to attend to any need the child may have. I feel strongly that the bad name does not belong on the shoulders of the Ring Sling, but the person who is using it incorrectly.

A sling is as safe as you want it to be.

This sling is made from a Pistachio color pure softened linen with accenting thread in Sage. Yay!