A tightly swaddled baby, asleep in a crib, paints a very peaceful picture. Swaddling, an ancient childcare practice used to keep babies content, warm, and asleep, is as popular as ever. Go to Medscape.com for some shocking swaddling statistics and research by Moon and McDonell
Just like the debates on breastfeeding, c-section birth, using a pacifier, swaddling is a choice. But I would like to think that before I make the decision to swaddle or not, I have all the information neccessary to do so.
Here’s a few thoughts on swaddling.
1. Do you swaddle your baby as a method to calm him/her down?Swaddling babies too often and for too long can interfere with the normal development of the ball-and-socket joint in the hip (infant hip dislocation is common in cultures that use long-term swaddling)
After your baby is fed and ready for bed, place her in a sling carrier and carry her around the house. Once she’s fully asleep, ease her out of the sling into her crib. This strategy is particularly helpful for a reluctant napper or bedtime-fighter.
2. Some parents believe that infants need more layers than they really do. Although we don’t generally recommend taking an axillary temperature unless the baby appears ill, it might not be a bad idea if you are concerned that the family has a tendency to over bundle the infant.
3. Parents should bring in what they plan to use at home for swaddling, and we’ll teach you how to swaddle properly to prevent damage to hips.
4. Dr. Rachel Moon, who is also lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep guidelines[1] and chair of the Task Force on SIDS, believes that babies should not be swaddled past 2 months of age.[5]
5. If parents are taking their infant to day care or a babysitter, they need to ensure that these caregivers know how to swaddle properly (if swaddling is permitted at all) and follow all other rules of safe sleep. If parents have stopped swaddling their infant, caregivers should be instructed to stop swaddling as well.
6. If parents continue to use a wearable blanket or wrap beyond the recommended age, they must carefully watch for signs that the infant is close to being able to roll over, in either direction. They should observe the infant’s movements during supine and prone play; an infant who seems close to rolling in either direction (a “partial roll”) or who can roll from prone to supine should no longer be swaddled using any method.
It’s extremely important to get your baby’s spine checked out after birth as it might be extremely traumatizing for such a little human being. Book your appointment now with one of our chiropractors at Chiropractic Dubai
