Swaddling Babies May Be a Contributing Factor in SIDS
There’s no doubt that advice for parents can be overwhelming and contradictory at times (from baby apps to good-cop bad-cop parenting to what exactly you’re going to name your baby in the first place), but with the ultimate aim being the health and safety of our little ones, we take any info we can get, and from there do our best to make the best decisions we can. With that in mind, a new study is saying that swaddling your newborns might be riskier than we realized, even increasing the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
If you’re all “swaddle whaaa?” then let us explain. Swaddling is the practice of wrapping infants tightly (but not too tightly, of course) in a blanket to help the baby keep calm and even soothe them to sleep. A technique that in a way mimics the warm and cozy close-quarters of mama’s womb, it has been used for generations in many different cultures. According to the Pediatrics medical journal, “Although the benefits and risks of swaddling in general have been studied, the practice in relation to sudden infant death syndrome remains unclear.”
And the study results remain unclear because, out of the 283 articles screened, only four studies met the criteria to be included. Four out of 283. Yowza.
Acknowledging certain variables and a lack of more substantial info, Pediatrics concluded that, until we know more about the cause(s) of SIDS, it’s best to have your baby stay in front or side positions for sleep, especially for little ones who are swaddled.
As Mom always said, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Did you (or do you plan to) swaddle your baby? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(h/t USA Today, photos via Getty)