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Here's What the Experts Say...
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Swaddled Babies Sleep BetterTM
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A
Washington University study proved infants sleep
better when swaddled
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Swaddled babies have fewer awakenings and twice as
much REM sleep
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REM
sleep is believed to be important for brain
development
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Reduces Incidence of SIDS
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When baby sleeps better on his back, parents are less
likely to use the unsafe tummy position for sleep
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There is evidence that swaddled back sleeping infants
have lower incidence of SIDS than unswaddled back
sleeping infants as stated in the Journal of
Pediatrics, December 2002
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Reduces Colic and Fussiness
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Snug swaddling soothes babies by reminding them of
being in the womb
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Swaddling helps prevent over stimulation
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Baby is able to self-soothe if swaddled with hands
near face
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Infants are inefficient at regulating their own
temperature. Swaddling helps to keep infants warm.
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Can
Help Make Breastfeeding Easier
“Infants sleep with fewer awakenings when swaddled, and
swaddling may help sleeping infants remain on their backs,
say researchers at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis.”
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, December 2, 2002
“Now we have scientific evidence to support the age old
belief that swaddled infants sleep better than unswaddled
infants,” Gerard said. “It helps babies stay asleep and so
may help parents keep babies sleeping in the safer back
position.”
Claudia M. Gerard, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
“Epidemiologic studies suggest that swaddled and supine
(back) sleeping infants have a significantly lower risk
for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death) than unswaddled supine
sleeping infants.”
Pediatrics December 2002
“Efficient wrapping is magically soothing to most babies.
Wrapping too loose may have the opposite effect. Your aim
is to encase the baby completely so that her limbs are
gently held in their preferred position and so that, when
she moves, she moves as one complete bundle.”
Penelope Leach – Your Baby and Child
“If your baby startles easily, his chin quivers a lot, and
his arms and legs seem trembly, swaddle your newborn in a
blanket, which contains and helps to organize these jerky
muscle movements.”
William Sears, MD- The Baby Book
“The frequency of startles was decreased with swaddling
during QS (Quiet Sleep) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement)
sleep, and the frequency of behavioral arousals was
decreased with swaddling during QS sleep. The duration of
REM sleep almost doubled with swaddling.”
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, December 2002
“The long term effect of longer REM sleep duration in
swaddled infants is unclear but may be beneficial. It has
been suggested that REM sleep directs early brain
maturation through control of neural activity.”
Pediatrics December 2002
“New babies need twice as much REM (Rapid Eye Movement)
sleep as adults. That kind of sleep is thought to play a
crucial part in brain development.”
Penelope Leach - Your Baby and Child
“Swaddling is the cornerstone of calming” and “It’s time
for swaddling to make a comeback.”
Harvey Karp, MD – The Happiest Baby On the Block
“Swaddling is soothing to baby because it simulates the
feeling of being in the womb. She feels warm, secure and
comforted,” explained Laura Alexander, a maternal-child
health nurse and parent educator at California Pacific
Medical Center in San Francisco.”
Baby Talk December 1998
Medical Experts agree it is important for babies to have
access to their hands
An important baby friendly issue – hand position for the
baby when swaddled. Leading researchers agree that it is
in baby’s best interest to have access to his or her hands
when swaddled.
Medical Experts:
“Infants
need access to their hands for self-soothing.
Sucking is the most orientating behavior for a newborn,
and the normal newborn has been observed post delivery to
get his hand to his mouth within thirty minutes of birth.
By vigorously sucking on his hands, a baby can communicate
with a caregiver that he is hungry, and as such, sucking
is one of the first baby cues or early forms of
communication.”
Dr. Kathryn Barnard, PhD,
FAAN,
Winner of the Gustav O. Lienhard
award and leading infant researcher
“Thumb
sucking is a healthy self-comforting pattern. A fetus
sucks his thumb. A newborn is equipped with the
hand-to-mouth, or Babkin reflex. When he is upset or
trying to settle down, he will resort to this as a way of
controlling himself. The pattern seems built in. Babies
who make use of it are easier to live with.”
Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, MD,
author of “Touchpoints – The Essential Reference”
“A new
baby’s natural position is with her arms bent at the elbow
and her legs flexed. Wrap her like this, making no attempt
to straighten her out before you start. Above all, leave
her hands where she can suck them if she wants and is able
to do so.”
Penelope Leach, PhD,
author of “Your Baby and Child”
“As founder of the Becoming Parents Program, I am a
strong advocate of educating both the practicing medical
community and new parents using the latest research. It
is common for the practicing medical community to be
unaware of the recent research with a lag of 10-15 years.
I am a hearty supporter of SwaddleDesigns because their
blanket is helping nurses, doctors, parents and caregivers
learn how to swaddle using the hands up by face
technique. Parents have so much to learn as they make the
transition to parenthood. It can be overwhelming for both
the new mother and the father. Our Becoming Parents
Program is designed to help the hospital education and
community service professionals to deliver effective
courses with up-to-date information to help young men and
women become parents – and I strongly advocate that
parents use the SwaddleDesigns blanket because it is the
optimum size and shape for swaddling and as an educational
aid – it truly makes swaddling easy to
learn.”
Pamela Jordan, RN,
PhD, Founder of Becoming Parents Program
www.BecomingParents.com
“ As an Orthopedic physician, I am happy to see your
blanket’s 123 SwaddleTM Tip Tag shows the hands
up by face swaddling technique. Orthopedists have a strong
bias that baby’s hips, knees and elbow joints be in a
flexed position when swaddled for proper joint
development. We become concerned with overextension of the
elbow joint when it is straight down by baby’s side.”
Dr. Larry Holland,
Orthopedic Physician
“ I definitely recommend that a baby be swaddled in a
natural position with elbows bent, hips and knees flexed
for proper joint development.”
Dr. Bill Wagner,
Orthopedic Physician
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A
Developmentally Supportive Swaddle – Theresa Kledzik,
RN, Infant Developmental Nurse Specialist
From Contemporary Pediatrics
What is the purpose of swaddling?
To
assist the infant in achieving and maintaining motor
control, which in turn has a regulatory effect on
autonomic and state function. In other words,
breathing, heart rate, and color will normalize, as
well as the infant's ability to transition from a
fussy or crying state to a quiet awake or sleep state.
How
should I swaddle a baby?
The
baby should be swaddled with the arms bent, brought
to midline, and accessible to his (or her) face. With
this positioning, the infant is supported in his
ability to self-console by bringing hands to face and
mouth. A caregiver's dual purpose is immediate
consoling as well as long-term support of the infant
to achieve his own goals of self-regulation and
self-calming. The palms of the hands and the area
around the mouth are very sensitive and potent sources
of stimulation. Rather than deprive the infant of this
access, support it.
How
tight should the developmental swaddle be?
The
developmental swaddle is intended to support the
infant's efforts to achieve and maintain regulation.
It is not intended to be a restraint. The blanket wrap
should be snug, but not too snug to allow the infant
to move.
How
can I maximize the effects of a developmental swaddle?
Hold the baby. Be attentive to cues of over
stimulation and stress while offering stimulation.
These subtle infant behaviors, such as looking away,
sneezing, hiccoughing, and color changes, are early
indicators of an infant reaching his threshold of
sensory stimulation. Reducing the stimulation at this
point may help the infant maintain regulation. If the
threshold has been exceeded, reduce the stimulation
and console the baby (while swaddled) to restore
regulation.”
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Every
baby is unique. Ask your pediatrician about swaddling your
baby. Different techniques work for different babies. If
your baby happens to get his or her arm(s) out of the
swaddle and is unhappy that way (some babies are content
with arms out), you may want to try another technique. You
may want to try swaddling with one hand up by face and the
other down across the tummy or down by leg with elbow
flexed, alternating arms each time you swaddle. The third
choice is to swaddle with both arms down, keeping the
elbow joint flexed and allowing more time out of the
swaddle.
Infant
researchers state it’s in baby’s best interest to have the
baby’s hands accessible to face, however it is your
decision as a parent to choose how and if to swaddle your
baby.
The
information contained on this website is intended to
complement, not substitute for, the advice of your child’s
pediatrician. Consult with your own pediatrician who can
discuss your individual needs and counsel you.
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