Swaddling Information
Swaddling calms and soothes overwhelmed newborns by recreating the snug, secure feeling of the womb. Swaddling helps infants sleep better and longer, preventing their Moro (startle) reflex from disturbing them. This means more sleep for parents too!
Swaddling helps newborns stay warm, especially during those first few days of life, when baby is transitioning to the world outside the womb.
A swaddled baby is better able to fall asleep on his own as a result this warm, snug environment that prevents his arms and legs from flailing uncontrollably. This allows parents to put their babies to sleep awake instead of spending hours pacing and rocking baby to sleep.
Researchers believe that swaddling may reduce the risk of SIDs, because it prevents babies from rolling onto their stomachs. It also eliminates the danger posed by loose blankets. Evidence suggests that swaddling may also help reduce the symptoms of colic.
Swaddling babies is traditional in many cultures around the world, but less common in North American or western European families. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, became interested in swaddling after working on a hospital team dealing with child abuse. When he found that in some cultures the persistent crying we call colic doesn’t exist, he looked for differences in baby care routines. He’s distilled those into the “Five S’s” — and the number one S is swaddling.
For some babies, Karp says, being bundled may be all it takes to settle down. “Swaddling keeps your baby from flailing his arms around and startling himself;” he explains, “and then he can focus on the other things you are doing to help him calm down.”
Another bonus: Swaddling helps some little ones sleep better on their backs, adding as much as an extra hour or two of sleep each day. Research from the Washington University School of Medicine in 2002 found that swaddled babies placed on their backs fall asleep more readily and often sleep longer.
Concerns about swaddling — that it can restrict breathing, cause hip problems and lead to overheating — were also considered by the researchers. They found, for example, that the babies’ oxygen levels remained unchanged. As for hip joint development, Karp says this is only an issue when a baby’s legs are held in a rigid extension when swaddled. “I recommend that the arms be snug,” he adds, “but the legs have flex room.”
To avoid overheating, Karp advises that when it’s warm, a swaddled baby should wear just a diaper — no sleeper or undershirt. Or the swaddling blanket could be a light cotton sheet cut into quarters. Plus, your infant’s head should never be covered. Researchers found that a baby’s temperature was not significantly increased when these guidelines were followed.
Is swaddling the way to go for every baby? Not always. Elder found that while Elisabeth loved being in a snug little bundle, Gabriel was happier with his arms free. Even in the Washington University study, about ten percent of the babies did not fall asleep better when swaddled.
But for those babies who do settle when swaddled — with or without other soothing techniques — knowing how to bundle your baby safely can help keep crying under wraps.
Soothing Solutions: Pediatrician Harvey Karp’s Five S’s for soothing babies are:
1. Swaddling;
2. Shushing (saying “shhhh” near your baby’s ear, or having some other white noise);
3. Side or stomach lying (only while on your lap or in your arms);
4. Swinging (jiggling, rocking, moving your baby);
5. Sucking (at the breast, on a parent’s finger, on a pacifier).
Swaddling helps newborns stay warm, especially during those first few days of life, when baby is transitioning to the world outside the womb.
A swaddled baby is better able to fall asleep on his own as a result this warm, snug environment that prevents his arms and legs from flailing uncontrollably. This allows parents to put their babies to sleep awake instead of spending hours pacing and rocking baby to sleep.
Researchers believe that swaddling may reduce the risk of SIDs, because it prevents babies from rolling onto their stomachs. It also eliminates the danger posed by loose blankets. Evidence suggests that swaddling may also help reduce the symptoms of colic.
Swaddling babies is traditional in many cultures around the world, but less common in North American or western European families. Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, became interested in swaddling after working on a hospital team dealing with child abuse. When he found that in some cultures the persistent crying we call colic doesn’t exist, he looked for differences in baby care routines. He’s distilled those into the “Five S’s” — and the number one S is swaddling.
For some babies, Karp says, being bundled may be all it takes to settle down. “Swaddling keeps your baby from flailing his arms around and startling himself;” he explains, “and then he can focus on the other things you are doing to help him calm down.”
Another bonus: Swaddling helps some little ones sleep better on their backs, adding as much as an extra hour or two of sleep each day. Research from the Washington University School of Medicine in 2002 found that swaddled babies placed on their backs fall asleep more readily and often sleep longer.
Concerns about swaddling — that it can restrict breathing, cause hip problems and lead to overheating — were also considered by the researchers. They found, for example, that the babies’ oxygen levels remained unchanged. As for hip joint development, Karp says this is only an issue when a baby’s legs are held in a rigid extension when swaddled. “I recommend that the arms be snug,” he adds, “but the legs have flex room.”
To avoid overheating, Karp advises that when it’s warm, a swaddled baby should wear just a diaper — no sleeper or undershirt. Or the swaddling blanket could be a light cotton sheet cut into quarters. Plus, your infant’s head should never be covered. Researchers found that a baby’s temperature was not significantly increased when these guidelines were followed.
Is swaddling the way to go for every baby? Not always. Elder found that while Elisabeth loved being in a snug little bundle, Gabriel was happier with his arms free. Even in the Washington University study, about ten percent of the babies did not fall asleep better when swaddled.
But for those babies who do settle when swaddled — with or without other soothing techniques — knowing how to bundle your baby safely can help keep crying under wraps.
Soothing Solutions: Pediatrician Harvey Karp’s Five S’s for soothing babies are:
1. Swaddling;
2. Shushing (saying “shhhh” near your baby’s ear, or having some other white noise);
3. Side or stomach lying (only while on your lap or in your arms);
4. Swinging (jiggling, rocking, moving your baby);
5. Sucking (at the breast, on a parent’s finger, on a pacifier).
