Baby slings are a good way for mothers to carry their infants around.
The idea, I presume, was cribbed from Africa and has really caught on here in the United States.
On Wednesday, however, a million baby slings were recalled less than two weeks after a nationwide warning was issued about the suffocation danger some of these devices can pose.
A harrowing account of a baby death was provided to AJE viewers by Ann Heneghan from the state of Washington.
Ann told us:
There was mucus with blood in it and it was coming out of her right nostril and ..."
(At this point Ann broke down and sobbed her heart out - If you saw the story go out you probably chocked-up a bit too)
Twelve-week-old Cathleen Ross had suffocated - one of 14 such deaths here in the United States in the past 20 years.
In cities right across America baby slings are a common sight.
Amanda Schindler keeps her baby Calvin in one. She told us:
It's good for them. It comforts them. It's been shown to lower their blood pressure and calm them down. It's just nice having them close."
But after three children died just last year the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says certain slings made by a California based company Infantino are unsafe.
Infantino has issued a voluntary recall of a million slings from its "Sling Rider" and "Wendy Bellissimo" range.
Inez Tenenbaum, the Chairman of the CPSC, said:
The Infantino slings create a deep pouch and children in that pouch have the potential of suffocating."
Infantino has issued a statement. It reads:
Safety is our number one concern and today's announcement of a free replacement programme reflects this commitment."
I decided to see for myself so I went to the CPSC headquarters in Bethesda Maryland to have a look at one of the recalled slings.
They explained to me that with so many baby slings on the market the CPSC is warning parents to be careful using ALL slings.
The Infantino sling I was shown did indeed seem to allow the four-month-old baby doll inside to sit very low down with material rising up sharply all around her - something the authorities fear could lead to suffocation.
Another problem comes if the child is held too tightly to the chest of the person wearing the sling.
Losing a baby under any circumstances must be a terrible thing to have to endure but losing one this way seems especially harsh as the device is promoted as a way of encouraging greater bonding with your infant.
Ann Heneghan, you'll be glad to hear, is now the proud mother of two children ... but it was clear from watching her emotions well up on screen that she'll never, ever forget Cathleen.
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