Child Carriers Defined - Wikipedia - Snippet

Child Carrier - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A child carrier (also called a baby carrier) is a device used to carry an infant or small child. This can be on the body of an adult, or separately. On-the-body carriers are designed in various forms such as slings, backpack carriers, and soft front or hip carriers, with varying materials and degrees of rigidity, decoration, support and confinement of the child. Slings, soft front carriers, and "carrycots" are typically used for infants who lack the ability to sit or to hold their head up. Frame backpack carriers (a modification of the frame backpack) and hip carriers, as well as certain styles of slings, are used for older children.

History
Although the carrying of children on the body using devices is a relatively recent phenomenon in the West, the practice has been established in many cultures for centuries. Images of children being carried in slings can be seen in Egyptian artwork dating back to the time of the Pharaohs, and have been used in many indigenous cultures. Devices for carrying children, not on the body, take the form of "carrycots", although many cultures have produced portable cradles, cradleboards, baskets, travois and other devices for making young infants easier to pick up and set down quickly. The modern car seat infant carrier is a relative latecomer.

See also
Baby transport: This has more discussion on strollers and carseats.
Cradle board
Baby sling: This is the most comprehensive article on specific methods of carrying babies on an adult's body.
Babywearing: A discussion of the concept of "wearing" the baby, this article looks more at the philosophy and general concept of babywearing, and less about specific carriers.

References
van Hout, I.C. (1993). Beloved Burdens. Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen.
Fontanel, Beatrice (October 1, 1998). Babies Celebrated. Harry N Abrams, 250 pages. ISBN 0-8109-4012-4.