A PARENTING charity has issued an urgent warning to parents over an “unsafe” breastfeeding technique, following the tragic death of a seven-week-old baby.
James ‘Jimmy’ Alderman was being breastfed while carried in a sling by his mum, Ellie, as she moved around their home.
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He was swathed in the sling “snugly”, not tightly, and Ellie could see his face when looking down.
But after five minutes of feeding him hands-free, she realised her baby had collapsed.
Resuscitation began straight away, but Jimmy sadly died in hospital three days later.
Following his inquest Lydia Brown, senior coroner for West London, warned that there was “insufficient information” for parents about the safe positioning of young babies in carriers, particularly when it came to breastfeeding.
Read more on parent warnings
Now, charities the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and the Lullaby Trust issued a joint response promising to make “rapid changes” to their guidance and inform parents and carers that hands-free breastfeeding is “always unsafe”.
The charities pleaded with parents not to use the breastfeeding method.
George Alderman, Jimmy’s father, said the move was a “good first step”, but “mixed with sadness” as it took his son’s passing for guidance to be changed.
The dad, 38, added that he was “grateful” changes were being made, having felt “strongly” about updating guidance for parents during the inquest.
George, a sports writer said: “We are really pleased that the Lullaby Trust and the NCT have updated their guidance, it was definitely something that through the inquest process we felt strongly about.
“It is a good reaction to what the coroner said, it is a good first step but we still feel there are other things that need to change that will take a bit longer.”
One change Jimmy’s parents want to see is a warning about breastfeeding on sling labels themselves.
He continued: “We are really happy that positive changes are starting to happen but obviously it is mixed with sadness.
“Why did it have to be us, why did it have to be Jimmy for something to change?
“We are grateful things are happening but it is just a shame these things weren’t being done before it, maybe we would have been more aware.”
Last year, the Aldermans raised almost £19,000 for St George’s Hospital, Momentum Children’s Charity and Kingston Hospital Charity by organising events under the name Jimmy’s Cuddle.
Babywearing – strapping a child into a harness or wrapping in a sling and carried hands-free – is popular among parents, with many saying is practical and helps babies bond with their parents through close contact.
But critics warn that it can put babies at risk of suffocation, because they can’t lift their own heads if incorrectly positioned.
This risk is increased for babies who are premature or have a low birth weight.
The inquest heard that Jimmy died on 11 October, 2023, after being accidentally suffocated.
The baby, who was 6 weeks and 6 days old when he died, was feeling well other than having a slight cold.
His mum was breastfeeding him within a sling worn “snugly”, not tightly, and although she could see his face when she looked down, he was positioned too far down.
In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, the coroner said: “Baby Jimmy was being breastfed within a baby carrier worn by his mother.
“After five minutes she found that he was collapsed and although immediate resuscitation was commenced, he died three days later on 11 October 2023 in St George’s Hospital.
“Jimmy died because his airway was occluded as he was not held in a safe position while within the sling.
She noted: “There is insufficient information available from any source to inform parents of safe positioning of young babies within carriers and in particular in relation to breastfeeding.”
Ms Brown concluded that Jimmy suffered an accidental death as a result of hypoxic brain injury, out of hospital cardiac arrest and accidental suffocation.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have also responded to Ms Brown’s report with the NHS promising to make their advice on safe baby-wearing more accessible and linked to breastfeeding guidance.
The letter from the NCT, the Lullaby Trust and two other children’s charities said: “As charities with direct contact with new and expectant parents and families we see our role in preventing future deaths as key.
“We also noted, and share your views, that simple, consistent messaging would help families, and we are committed to supporting that goal wherever possible in our information and services for parents and families.
“We are now, together, looking to make rapid change to the guidance for parents around hands-free breastfeeding using slings and carriers, and have agreed that we will tell parents and families, consistently, that this is unsafe and should not be attempted.”
Safety tips for using slings
A UK consortium of sling retailers and manufacturers have shared an acronym, TICKS, that parents can use to position their babies safely in slings.
The acronym stands for:
- Tight
- In view at all times
- Close enough to kiss
- Keep chin off the chest
- Supported back
This is to ensure that your baby’s airway is kept clear, and so you can check that they are able to breathe easily and are not overheating.
Complete guidance is available by visiting The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
The NCT previously said that you could breastfeed a baby in a sling but that the baby should be supported at all times.
This advice was blasted as “unhelpful” by the coroner Ms Brown because it’s didn’t stick to all the TICKS requirements – she also noted there was no guidance in NHS literature on the subject.
The charity, which provides classes for expecting parents, now says babies should always be taken out of a carrier to feed and that the practice is also a trip hazard.
Their website reads: “‘Hands-free’ breastfeeding or bottle feeding, where the wearer moves around and does other jobs while the baby is feeding, is unsafe.
“This is especially true for babies under four months old. It also applies to babies born prematurely or those with a health condition. Moving around with loose sling fabric could also be a trip hazard.
“If the baby needs to feed, take them out of the sling. When they have finished feeding, either return them to the sling or put the baby down in a safe space.”
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