Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Gwen Stafani and Brooke Shields are just some of the A-listers who've recently endorsed - and been seen with - baby slings.

"Celebrities are not always good role models but in this case they're endorsing something that benefits both babies and their parents," says Daniel Lucas of BabaSlings.

"Carrying a baby in a sling not only makes going out and about easy and spontaneous, research shows that it also reduces crying by up to 51 per cent."

Sales up 100 per cent

Daniel Lucas and business partner Heath O'Connor have seen interest grow month-on-month since they started developing theBabaSling which, at the start, was seen as a slightly offbeat product.

"At one point it was viewed almost as the choice of tree-huggers, but now it's most definitely mainstream, and everyone from the very wealthy to ordinary working mums are using slings," says Daniel.

Major nursery stores have reported a 100 per cent increase in sling sales in the past year and helping parents use slings properly - rather than promoting their use - is now the challenge for retailers.

When helping a parent choose a sling, the key features are:

• Over-the-shoulder facility to support newborns in a horizontal position, exactly as they were in the womb. This is good for the baby's spine, great for bonding and perfect for breastfeeding mums;
• Upright facility for use once the baby is able to hold up his or her head (around 4-6 months), enabling the baby to look around and interact with mum or dad;
• Adjustable straps with secure buckles to enable the sling to be worn safely by different sized adults.

The growth in slings has come from the realisation that the modern-day Western way of dealing with children - leaving them alone for up to two-thirds of the day in seats, prams, bouncy chairs, cots or swings - can lead to a mild form of sensory deprivation.

In contrast, children raised in non-Western cultures continue to have a natural closeness after birth, being carried and touched much more frequently.

theBabaSling brings a 21st century approach to an age-old idea, combining the benefits of a sling with modern technology and some high-tech patented adjustment systems.

theBabaSling is a perfectly designed over-the-shoulder sling for use from newborn, and as the child grows, can be used in one of seven suggested positions.

"We're seeing a quiet revolution in parenting," says Daniel Lucas. "Slings are such an obvious answer to all our modern problems - multi-tasking, dashing out and about, shopping in confined spaces, living in small homes - it's amazing that it's taken so long for them to catch on."

Hotline: 0800 310 1547

http://www.thebabasling.co.uk/

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