09/08/2021
What are your thoughts about swaddling?
There was breast versus bottle. Then crib-sleeping versus co-sleeping. Now the latest infant-rearing technique to stir controversy and confusion to parents is swaddling.
For the uninitiated, swaddling involves snugly wrapping infants in a blanket to restrict movement. It's been around for thousands of years, but it has grown steadily in popularity even in the past decade.
Swaddled babies, according to proponents of the technique, sleep longer, fuss less and have a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
As the practice gains a bigger following, however, ."[Swaddling] is really not that beneficial."
Several studies have linked swaddling to a higher risk of respiratory infections and, if done improperly, hip dysplasia. Swaddled babies may overheat, especially if their heads are partially covered, which can cause hyperthermia and even death. There is ongoing debate over whether swaddling prevents infants from waking easily, hinders weight gain or, most troubling, increases the chance of SIDS.
