Swaddling: Pros and Cons, what the experts are saying

Less than half of pediatricians educate parents of newborns about the pros and cons of swaddling. To help aid new parents on how they make the choice on whether to swaddle their baby or not we have listed a few pros and cons to swaddling.

Pros

• keep him or her from making sudden movements and startling himself, thereby promoting sleep
• can help to calm her and decrease the amount of time that she spends crying
• they are at a significantly lower risk of accidental suffocation - if swaddling is done right
• Promotes more sleep due to lack of starling movements - a reflex babies have naturally

Cons

• swaddled infants are at a higher risk of developing hip dysplasia than infants who are not swaddled
• Wrapping your baby too tightly can cause problems with circulation or cause her to overheat, which can lead to serious medical complications, according to the University of Florida
• Swaddle can come loose and cause accidental suffocation
• Is hard to know the balance of too loose and too tight
• Swaddling can lead to too much deep sleep
• can interfere with the initiation of breastfeeding and with frequent feedings that are crucial early on.
• Swaddled babies can’t freely wiggle or feel with their fingers and toes which is part of a healthy developmental process.

Parents make choices all day everyday for their babies, and deciding whether to swaddle or not is just another choice! Swaddling has been proven to help aid sleep in newborn because it gives them a sense of security, but it can also pose risks and can interfere with their integration into the world outside of the womb. Swaddling is common place and recommended. Although pediatricians strictly advise against adding extra materials to the sleep environment. Crescent Womb has proven more effective than traditional swaddling, while maintaining a safe sleep environment free of loose blankets. Plus added convenience by eliminating the extra step of wrapping baby in a swaddle.

For swaddling alternatives, buy Crescent Womb™ The first + only Infant Safety Bed.

Credits: Cresent Womb, Pixabay