Can swaddling your baby affect their growth?

Swaddle- to wrap someone, especially a baby in garments or cloth

Swaddling is a method that parents and caretakers have used for decades to comfort a crying baby. Soothing your baby with a warm blanket and rocking them back and forth may seem sweet and gentle but does the constricting blanket affect your baby’s joint development?

Some people believe that swaddling helps to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There is also evidence to suggest the contrary to this belief. Doctors in Australia are now warning parents that the swaddling technique does have other risks.

A study  which was published in the Medical Journal of Australia and later reported on by The Daily Telegraph claims that swaddling can potentially negatively affect your baby’s joint development  .

The method of swaddling was also argued that it can delay diagnoses concerning ‘clicky hips’ or development dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Both of these could result in surgery on in later life. Babies need to be able to move their legs freely, bending them and stretching them, swaddling the baby does not allow for these actions there for hindering growth.

Orthopaedics in Australia, the UK and in North America are now all questioning the method of swaddling, advising parents to stop using this method to sooth babies.

maternity & infant

Originally posted 2016-04-11 13:08:28.