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Swaddling: will it get babies onto their backs for sleep?
Rosalind P Oden1, Carmin Powell, Alexandra Sims
1Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health,Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Clinical Pediatrics
|September 10, 2011
Summary
Swaddling is commonly used by caregivers for infant comfort and warmth, with most finding it safe and effective. Routine swaddling is associated with increased supine sleep positioning, potentially aiding adherence to safe infant sleep recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infant Sleep Safety
Background:
- The supine sleep position is crucial for reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Swaddling is a common practice that may enhance infant adherence to recommended supine positioning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning infant swaddling.
- Focus on caregivers of infants aged 0 to 3 months.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional descriptive survey was employed.
- 103 adult caregivers were interviewed.
Main Results:
- All surveyed caregivers reported swaddling their infants.
- Primary reasons for swaddling included promoting infant comfort and warmth.
- Approximately 80% of caregivers found swaddling effective and comfortable, while nearly 90% considered it safe.
- Routine swaddling correlated with a higher likelihood of effective swaddling and supine infant positioning (P < .01).
Conclusions:
- Swaddling is frequently utilized by parents for infant comfort, with a majority perceiving it as effective and safe.
- Routine swaddling is linked to increased supine positioning of infants.
- Swaddling may serve as a beneficial strategy for infants experiencing difficulties with supine sleep.
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