Infant Child Carry Equipment

AAPCH

The Australian Association of Parenting and Child Health (AAPCH) is an international organisation of key agencies in Australia and New Zealand providing early parenting education, guidance and support for professionals working with families and young children. AAPCH is committed to optimising the physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing of children.

CHILD SAFE COMMITMENT STATEMENT

Our organisation is committed to safe, respectful, and empowering environments for children and young people. We embed child safety and wellbeing in our culture, guided by the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, ensuring children’s voices are heard, families are engaged, diversity is respected, and robust systems prevent harm and respond effectively.

AIM

This position paper seeks to provide guidance on the developmentally appropriate and safe use of infant/child carry equipment. The paper seeks to address the
perspective of both the infant and their caregiver, highlighting the important role caregivers play in supporting the emotional regulation and growth of the infant
including reassurance in interpreting the world around them.

DEFINITION

This position paper focuses on the developmentally appropriate use of infant/child carry equipment; that is equipment that is used to take the infant/child out into the
world. This includes equipment such as prams, strollers, pouches and backpacks. Other items such as car seats are outside the scope of this position paper unless they are being used to carry the infant while the parent is walking. The term ‘infant’ in this paper is inclusive of infants aged 0 – 12 months and young children transported using infant/child carry equipment.

KEY PRINCIPLE

The following principles are applicable across all infant/child carry equipment unless otherwise stated.

  1. Infants require support in order to regulate their emotional state and responses to the world around them. This is best supported through the infant being able to see the face of their caregiver or able to easily have infant initiated physical contact with their carer.
  2. Parents are encouraged to engage with their infant by having the infant facing them (under 12 months), talking with them and reassuring their infant as they
    engage with the world around them.
  3. In situations where parents have only forward-facing equipment available (i.e. certain types of prams or backpacks), parents are encouraged to ensure they
    provide regular interaction with their child to reassure them of the parent’s presence and availability. Parents are also encouraged to avoid overwhelming stimulus such as lengthy periods of time in busy environments when their infant/child is forward facing.
  4. Infant/child carry equipment must be appropriate to the development of the infant. Infants must be physically and emotionally ready and developmentally able
    to remain safe when being transported using infant/child carry equipment.
  5. Infant/child carry equipment should be approved by the relevant Australian/New Zealand safety standards.
  6. Infant/child carry equipment must be ergonomically safe for the caregiver to use.

INFANT SAFETY

  • The equipment must be appropriate to the physical and emotional development of the infant. This includes children less than 6months old not being seated upright in a pram.
  • Caregivers are encouraged to consider using equipment that enables the infant to face their caregiver including prams that face the caregiver and pouches in which the infant faces inwards.

PRAMS

  • Within a pram, a baby should be on a flat, firm and level surface, with no pillows or soft toys, and with their face uncovered. This reduces the risk of breathing restrictions or suffocation. Prams should have a red parking brake that is not accessible by the child when in the 5-point harness.
  • Covering a baby’s pram, even with breathable materials, can significantly increase the risk of overheating and suffocation, especially in warm weather. While it’s important to protect babies from the sun, using blankets, plastic covers, or even lightweight muslin can reduce airflow and trap heat inside, potentially leading to dangerous temperature increases. Instead of covering the pram, focus on seeking shade or using a pram with a UV-protective canopy that allows for proper ventilation. 

INFANT CARRIERS

  • The use of slings to carry infants is not recommended. Infants may not have the developmental capacity to reposition themselves safely to ensure they can
    breathe freely. Infants under 4 months and those born premature or of low birth weight are at higher risk of blocked airways when carried in slings.
  • The positioning of the infant’s legs in slings may also be associated with hip dysplasia.
  • The carrier should allow for the child’s hips to spread so that the legs are straddling the carrier’s body, with knees spread apart, thighs supported, and hips bent.
  • It is unsafe for your baby to sleep in a carrier, wrap or sling, as they can move into a C-shape, which can restrict breathing and cause suffocation. If they do fall asleep, check them frequently, don’t leave for long periods of time, check their breathing regularly, move them to a safe sleeping environment when able.
  • If choosing to use a baby carrier, sling or wrap, follow “T.I.C.K.S.”. Keep your baby:
    • Tight
    • In view at all times
    • Close enough to kiss
    • Keep chin off chest
    • Supported back
    • If breastfeeding in a baby carrier, re-position child following “T.I.C.K.S.”, when the feed has finished.
  • The importance of appropriate positioning to ensure the infant can breathe freely and is at the correct temperature according to the weather conditions is also applied to all other infant carrying equipment.

EQUIPMENT SAFETY

  • Infant/child carry equipment should be approved by the relevant safety standards, where available.
  • There are currently no Australian Standards for the manufacture of these products sold in Australia
  • Caregivers need to take care to check the recommendations of the manufacturer including suitability for age and weight of the infant/child.
  • Prams and pouches must have adequate support to enable the infant to be transported safely. Appropriate safety features are essential e.g. securely attached and complete 5-point safety harness for the infant/child, fully functioning brakes, wrist safety band to attach pram to caregiver arm, free of pinch points that might trap fingers, locking components working properly.
  • Any infant/child wearing device should be comfortable to both the caregiver and their infant/child and provide ready access for interaction and attendance to the infant.

REFERENCES