What are the benefits and harms of swaddling a baby? And when should you completely stop swaddling a child?

What is baby swaddling?

Immediately after giving birth, the mother wraps her newborn with a blanket or his cover, depending on the weather in which the infant was born. The process of swaddling the child includes the entire limbs of the child, and this is with the aim of warming the infant and protecting him from the outside world, and giving him the feeling of the womb that he is accustomed to for a period of 9 months, but if the swaddling is done properly Wrong. Deformities may occur to the infant’s body, and it may lead to congenital hip dysplasia. Therefore, swaddling should not be tightened, while giving the hands and feet a space that includes their freedom of movement.

When should you permanently stop swaddling a child?

The opinion of the majority of doctors is unanimous that as soon as the infant exceeds two months of age, the swaddling process must be stopped completely, because the infant at that time has the ability to move and turn over, and if the child turns over on his stomach during sleep and the mother is unaware of him, while he is in the swaddled state, it is possible That the infant is exposed to sudden death syndrome.

Benefits of swaddling a baby:

Despite the different methods of swaddling, in the end, if it is done correctly according to the doctors’ instructions, it will bring many benefits to the infant, including the following:

• Proper swaddling without tightness on the limbs gives the baby a state of calm, peace and tranquility.
• It makes the baby feel safe and calm, and falls asleep deeply, thus reducing sleep disorders that infants suffer from at the beginning of birth.
• Immediately after birth, the infant searches for the atmosphere of the womb in which he remained for 9 months, and swaddling gives him the same feeling, especially because the mother’s womb is narrow and the movement of the fetus inside it is controlled, and that is the same feeling of swaddling.
• Swaddling protects the child from exposure to disorders that result from the involuntary movements of the infant's limbs. You have certainly seen before an involuntary shaking of an infant.
• Swaddling the baby helps calm him down when he gets into a fit of anger and irritation, accompanied by hours of continuous crying, with the mother's refusal of all attempts to breastfeed or change the diaper. He only needs safety and this is what swaddling will actually give him.

The harm of swaddling a baby:

Despite the many benefits mentioned in the previous lines of swaddling a baby, if the swaddling is done in the wrong way, your baby will suffer many damages, including the following:

Congenital hip dysplasia:

If the swaddling is done incorrectly, where the mother pulls the swaddle cloth too tightly on the infant, taking away his freedom to move his limbs, or his body is completely covered during the swaddling, with the swaddling tight on the hips and feet, the child will be more susceptible to hip dysplasia. dysplasia.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS):

Many scientific researches have been conducted, by a number of specialized doctors, on the matter of swaddling the infant, and all the results confirm that swaddling the wrong way can put the child at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, especially if the infant has the ability to move and turns over. his stomach, and to reduce the risk of infection, it is preferable to swaddle the child with a light cotton cloth.