Natasha Chiam, centre, Amanda Whiting and her husband Arthur tote their children Caius, Calis and Amber in baby carriers. A local baby-wearing expert is concerned moms will be too scared to use baby slings after word of a U.S. government warning. (Kristy Brownkee, QMI Agency)

EDMONTON - A local baby-wearing expert is concerned mothers will be too scared to use baby slings after word of a U.S. government safety warning.

Baby slings have been linked to at least seven reported deaths in the U.S., prompting the warning.

But Arie Brentnall-Compton, who holds monthly baby-wearing classes in Edmonton, says slings are safe if used properly.

"Like with any product, if you don't use it safely it can be a problem," she said Wednesday.

Brentnall-Compton said most of the deaths are attributed to a particular carrier that was previously recalled in 2007 for babies falling out of them.

The Infantino Sling Rider puts babies in a "C-like" position, leaving them at risk of asphyxiation, she said.

"This warning should have been sent out ages ago and should be about that sling, not all slings," Brentnall-Compton said.

The safest way to have babies in carriers is upright facing the parent's tummy, said Tracey Stolarchuk, owner of Edmonton's Birth Source Inc., which sells trendy baby slings.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officials, who plan to release the warning this week, didn't cite any particular sling.

Babywearing advocates say the method allows for bonding between parent and infant.

"Babies are born expecting to be carried, but we have very few people who know how to do it," Brentnall-Compton said.

Alternatives to baby wearing can be risky, too, she added.

Infants who are frequently laid on their backs -- in car seat carriers or cribs -- are susceptible to flat-head syndrome.

According to a study published last month, the condition has been linked to a delayed development of motor skills.

kristy.brownlee@sunmedia.ca