Happiest Baby technique

Swaddling is a wonderful technique for helping calm your new baby. What many people don't realize is that it is also helpful for many babies for several months past the newborn period when most people use receiving blankets. A stretchy, thermal swaddling blanket, like these above (available at Walmart for $9/two pack - 30" x 30") are amazing. The stretch makes the swaddling easier and you can get these in a wide array of colors.

http://www.sidscenter.org/TopicalBib/Swaddling.html

 Some highlights from the articles are:

• One study provides a scientific basis for assessing the safety of swaddling in infant care practice. The decreased cortical arousals observed in infants unfamiliar with swaddling may correspond to the increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome for inexperienced prone sleepers.

• Although swaddling promotes the favorable supine position, the combination of swaddling with prone position increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, which makes it necessary to warn parents to stop swaddling if infants attempt to turn.

• When infants have been swaddled and sleep supine, their risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is reduced with an odds ratio of 0.64 to 0.69. Alternatively, the risk for SIDS in swaddled infants shows a 3-fold increase in the prone position.

• Swaddling decreases spontaneous arousals in QS and increases the duration of REM sleep, perhaps by helping infants return to sleep spontaneously, which may limit parental intervention. For these reasons, a safe form of swaddling that allows hip flexion/abduction and chest wall excursion may help parents keep their infants in the supine sleep position and thereby prevent the sudden infant death syndrome risks associated with the prone sleep position.

More information here.
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