How to swaddle a baby

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Swaddling is one of the most important tasks when taking care of a newborn. Babies who are properly swaddled feel more comfortable, sleep better, and are less fussy. For parents of young children, understanding what swaddling is properly, as well as when and when to stop swaddling a newborn are important issues to stay informed.

1. What it means to properly swaddle babies

Swaddling babies has been an integral part of newborn care for centuries. The feeling of being curled up in a diaper has many similarities to when the baby is in the mother's womb at the fetal stage or when being hugged and caressed. Properly swaddled babies also seem to sleep better, which is especially beneficial for those with neurological and digestive problems.
Proper swaddling also helps parents to put their babies to sleep in the supine position. This has been shown to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some babies have trouble sleeping on their backs because they are often startled. However, wearing a transparent diaper while sleeping helps limit startles.
However, swaddling itself has many disadvantages. First, children's legs are often kept straight, and that increases the risk of hip problems. In addition, if the towel used to wrap the baby is loose and loose, the movement of the baby can lead to suffocation.
Some other studies even warn of a danger of improper swaddling. The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome is increased in infants swaddled in the side or prone position. For babies older than 6 months, placing them on their stomach doubles this risk.
Although, studies don't give an exact reason why the risk of sudden infant death syndrome increases. However, it is conceivable that the infant cannot raise his or her head if breathing is difficult while in the prone position. In particular, in the case that the baby is tightly wrapped in the face-down position, it will be difficult for parents to detect the abnormality because they cannot hear the cry. Therefore, all parents with small children at the newborn age need to equip themselves with the knowledge about swaddling properly to protect the health and development of the baby.

2. Some things to keep in mind when swaddling your baby

Here are a few things to keep in mind when swaddling babies that parents need to know:
Swaddling is optional: If your baby is happy and comfortable without swaddling, there's no need to force the baby to be swaddled. . Always put babies to sleep on their backs: This is especially important in swaddled babies. Make sure the towel used to wrap the baby is not loose, because it can wrap the baby tightly and prevent them from breathing. In order for a child's hip joint to develop properly, the child's legs need to be relaxed and not fixed in the diaper. It seems safe for babies to be swaddled for a short period of time, but if for an extended period of time, parents should consider using a specialized sleeping bag for babies to allow their legs to move freely. This is not meant to make the baby more comfortable but it is safe for the child's hip joints later on.

3. How to properly swaddle a newborn baby?

Proper and beautiful diapering is an extremely important skill for parents. This helps to comfort your baby when he's excited or upset and keeps him from being disturbed or startled. Here are the suggested steps to properly swaddle your baby:
Create a diamond shape with a soft cloth : Choose a baby diaper cloth with a material that is soft and does not irritate the skin. Place the fabric on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond and fold the top corner inward. Then, lay your baby on her back with her neck sticking out of the towel. Proceed to fold the right fabric: Hold the infant's right arm along the torso. Then proceed to pull the left corner of the towel over the right arm and cross it over the body and tuck the corner of the towel under the left arm to wrap the baby in the cloth. Proceed to fold the left side fabric: Hold the child's left arm along the body and pull the bottom corner of the towel up over the left shoulder. Tuck a little extra soft cloth around the child's hand. Be sure to leave some space at the end of the sheet so that the infant can bend and move freely. Final Step: Straighten the loose right corner, then pull it over the front of your baby and roll her to the right slightly so you can wrap the corner around her back.

Proper swaddling helps children to be comfortable, sleep well and avoid sudden infant death syndrome, but conversely, if parents are swaddled incorrectly, it can be uncomfortable, uncomfortable, and fussy. Therefore, parents can refer to how to properly swaddle their children from the information in the article above.
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Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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Reference source: health.harvard.edu