November 21, 2011
Carrying babies in a cloth tied to the body as a sling was common in most cultures traditionally. The knotted cloth is carried in the front or the back or simply slung over the shoulders so that the child rests on the hips. The child was carried over the back, or the front or the hips by the women while they worked or traveled. Infants were carried in earlier times in baskets, cradleboards, portable cradles and travois. It was in the 1960s that the slings became once again popular with the introduction of structured soft pack. Toddlers and older kids were carried on the back using frame backpack. Later wrap was introduced in Germany to carry babies. In the 1980s, the ring sling became fashionable. The pouch carriers were introduced in the 1990s. The modernization of the traditional mei tai of the Chinese with features such as padding has made it popular in recent years.
Read the full article →