Tragedy: A baby boy died in a sling such as this one during a ten-minute walk with his mother on Christmas Eve, an inquest heard (file photo)
A baby boy died in a sling during a ten-minute walk with his mother on Christmas Eve, an inquest heard.
Eric Matthews was only five weeks old when he accidentally suffocated as his mother Marianne tried to calm him down.
The tragedy prompted the coroner to raise concerns about the safety of the slings, which have grown in popularity in recent years and have been used by celebrity mothers such as Gwyneth Paltrow.
The inquest also heard that six children have died in slings in the UK, while 16 deaths have been recorded in the US and Canada.
An emotional Mrs Matthews, attending the inquest with her 48-year-old partner Robert, said she had learned to position her child in the sling from a parenting manual, suggesting it was safest against her chest.
She issued a warning to other parents over the dangers posed by the slings, saying: ‘I don’t want to scaremonger but I think it isn’t known about.’
Mrs Matthews, a 35-year-old textile artist, added: ‘All the baby books say that slings are good for babies. We knew the cot death stuff about babies on their backs that is really well known. But we didn’t know about this at all.’
The parents told the inquest how they decided to take their crying child for a walk on Christmas Eve last year in an attempt to calm him down.
They were forced to perform emergency CPR after returning home to find that Eric was not breathing and had blood coming from his nose. Despite their efforts, he died in Great Ormond Street Hospital eight days later.
Tragedy: Eric's parents were forced to perform CPR after returning home to find that he was not breathing. Despite their efforts, he died in Great Ormond Street Hospital eight days later
Mr Matthews, from Harrow in North London, told St Pancras Coroner’s Court: ‘We went for a short walk with him. He was in the sling.
'He was crying in the beginning, then he stopped crying. On the way back he was falling asleep. When we got home we found he wasn’t breathing.’
Carrying babies in slings and baby carriers has grown in popularity in recent years, with celebrity devotees including Jools Oliver, pictured with her son Buddy Bear in a Baby Bjorn baby carrier, which is designed to ensure there is no possible risk of suffocation
The inquest also heard how Dr Rosemary Scott, a senior pathologist, had started to investigate deaths caused by the slings.
Paediatric pathologist Dr Mary Malone, who carried out a post-mortem examination of the baby, said that such deaths were usually caused by the child’s position leading to asphyxiation.
She said that six similar cases had been recorded in Britain, and 16 in America and Canada.
Coroner Richard Brittain described it as an ‘extremely tragic death’, ruling that the cause of death was the baby’s airways being blocked.
He added: ‘We heard from Dr Malone there have been similar circumstances that occurred internationally and also in the UK that do raise some concerns as to the safety of the slings.’
Mrs Matthews has opened a page on the charity website Justgiving using her son’s full name – Eric Laser Matthews. The total raised stood today at £2,592.
She wrote: ‘Eric’s short life has made us want to give something back to those who helped us in those difficult last days. The amazing people at Great Ormond Street showed great care and dedication.’
The type of sling used by the Matthews family was not identified.
A Californian company was forced to recall more than a million slings in 2010 after reports that they had been involved in the deaths of three babies.
SLINGS: THE DANGERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Baby slings have been used by parents for thousands of years and, when used correctly, can soothe the baby while keeping the adult's hands free to get on with other things.
The practice of keeping babies - and small children - close to their mother's body in slings is known as babywearing, and is one of the central tenets of attachment parenting (AP).
AP is a parenting philosophy whose devotees believe a child's development is enhanced by the security of it being kept close to its parents.
Jools Oliver, Holly Willoughby, and Nicole Kidman are among celebrities who have been photographed 'wearing' their babies in slings.
Popular practice: Holly Willoughby, left, and Nicole Kidman, right, have both carried their babies in slings
But the practice can be dangerous.
Seven babies are known to have suffocated in slings in Britain and 16 in North America in recent years, while three have died this way in Australia since 2010.
Scientists at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) are now developing an education campaign to teach parents how to use slings safely after discovering that one in 20 babies carried in a sling has been injured or narrowly avoided injury as a result.
'Parents using slings should check their babies frequently, particularly if they show signs of distress, suddenly stop crying, or make any unusual sounds.'
Victoria Ward, of Babywearing UK
QUT's Dr Kirsten Vallmuur said the main risk with using a sling was putting the baby in a C-shaped position, which could restrict their breathing and lead to suffocation.
Meanwhile common injuries included the baby falling out of the sling, the adult wearing the sling slipping or falling, and the baby being hurt while being put into or taken out of the baby carrier.
Victoria Ward, from Babywearing UK, said the usage of slings and baby carriers was growing in the UK, not least because it can be safer for babies to have their daytime naps in slings rather than alone in a bedroom.
She told MailOnline: 'Parents using slings should follow the TICKS advice: Keep your baby Tight, In view, Close enough to kiss, Keep their chin off their chest, and Supported back.
'The ideal position is usually an upright one, and you should check the baby frequently, particularly if they show signs of distress, suddenly stop crying, or make any unusual sounds.'
Sling safety: Parents who want to use a sling are advised to keep the child's nose and mouth uncovered
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