Is Swaddling Dangerous?

Posted On: 05-20-2016

Swaddling is a common practice. In fact, it is so common that in hospitals across the country, nurses help to teach new parents how to swaddle their newborn. By the end of the first few weeks of life, many parents are self-proclaimed experts of swaddling.

However, the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has parents, scientists, and doctors examining any potential risk factor. Currently, there are approximately 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths every year. Of those, 1,500 of the deaths are due to SIDS. Recently, studies have been carried out to determine if swaddling and SIDS could be connected.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics looked at data to determine if a link does exist. During this study, research was combined from previous studies so that all of the data could be analyzed all together. The study’s senior author, University of Bristol professor Peter Blair, indicated that only four studies were available to analyze. These studies consisted of 760 infants who died from SIDS and 1,759 infants who did not. To complete the study, the researchers compared the number of swaddled babies across all groups, as well as other information like ages and sleeping positions.

The results of the analysis concluded that the biggest risk factor for SIDS is stomach sleeping. While swaddling was found to increase the risk for babies already on their stomachs, there was no evidence that swaddling is directly a risk factor for SIDS. However, more research is needed to evaluate the safety of swaddling for older babies who could easily wriggle out.

Overall, swaddling is still a useful tool for parents who are looking to help their baby calm down and sleep. Parents are encouraged to discuss safe swaddling techniques with their baby’s doctor.

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