Swaddling for healthy happy babies

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics looked at all the possible benefits and negatives of swaddling and found that the pros far outweighed any cons. According to the article , "Swaddling was an almost universal child-care practice before the 18th century... and is gaining popularity in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands." The old school parents were on the right track too; some of the general benefits of swaddling found by researchers include:

• Swaddled infants arouse from sleep less and sleep longer overall than non-swaddled babes.
• Preterm infants who are regularly swaddled have been shown to have "Improved neuromuscular development, less physiologic distress, better motor organization, and more self-regulatory ability."
• Excessively crying babies cry less when swaddled.
• Swaddling has been shown to soothe pain in infants.

There were very few cons, but they include:

• Swaddling can help regulate temperature but can also cause hyperthermia when misapplied.
• Swaddling may increase risk of the development of hip dysplasia, BUT this is related to swaddling with the legs in extension and adduction.
• There is a little evidence that there might be a higher risk of respiratory infections in babies who are frequently swaddled due to the tightness of swaddling.

If you want to try swaddling your baby, make sure you're doing it correctly. Watch the video below to learn how to swaddle. You can also use a swaddle blanket which makes it really easy to swaddle like a pro.