Benign Neglect

http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2010/12/3/rethinking-swaddling.html (references provided)

I love this article. I believe swaddling benefits your infant. It mimics the feeling of "coziness" and warmth that being in the womb has provided the infant for the past 40 weeks. Kind of a "security blanket" if you will.

Among the Yucatec Maya, swaddling is widespread though it seems that in certain regions of the Yucatan Peninsula the practice is being abandoned. Mothers swaddle their babies to prevent them from startling at the movement of their own hands as a results of a sudden loud noise when they are asleep. Startling leads to non stop crying which is considered a health risk as any other overemotional states.

As the father to a daughter or son that might be swaddled i wouldn't have much say in what the mother wanted to do if that was her family tradition. But because i am in American and things of that nature were not practiced in my up bring i would have to disagree with that type of care for such a young child which was stated in the article to be done as young as 6 weeks years of age. I would think that would stunt the growth of any child. An interesting fact i would have liked to have known would have been "How many babies have died from swaddling, due to overheating" and further "How many swaddled babies have weak muscle growth or stunted growth due to swaddling itself." In conclusion to this article i do not agree with the practices of swaddling.

Me being the father, I would probably be more likely to fallow what the mothers family traditions are. If she wants to swaddle my son or daughter I would respect my wife enough to allow her to do that. I don’t necessarily agree with swaddling because I was brought up in America, those traditions aren’t practiced as much and my mother did not do it to me. I think that it could possibly stun the growth of younger children. I found it very interesting how many babies have died from swaddling, due to overheating. Also how many swaddled babies have weak muscle growth or stunned growth due to swaddling. That little bit that I learned from the article makes me against doing this to my own children.

http://www.hipdysplasia.org/Infant-and-Child-Hip-Dysplasia/Hip-Healthy-S....

This website offers information re proper methods to avoid hip dysplasia.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I thought swaddling was “the thing to do”. Everyone I knew did it and told me all about it. My sister taught me how to swaddle my daughter when she was born. I have to admit, I was nervous when I first started doing it on my own. I was afraid I would hurt her or she would suffocate or something. I never thought to do any of my own research at the time because I was under the impression that it was just what you do with a newborn. I wouldn’t change that I did it and when I have my next child, I will again. I swaddled my daughter until she was about 3 months old, which was the age I had heard was the average age infants no longer needed it. Around that age, infants start to have more control of their muscle movement, with less involuntary spasms. We decided to stop for a couple of reasons, first, it was way too hot because we were getting into summer and, second, she wasn’t getting the benefit out of it she had been previously because she was strong enough to wiggle out in her sleep (after searching online, I realized that this was a “test” done to find out when an infant no longer needs to be swaddled). We only swaddled her when she was going to sleep so when she was awake during the day, she was free to flail as she pleased. We decided to swaddle her because she enjoyed it and it helped her sleep and keep her arms and legs still. It helps newborns feel secure and reminds them of the tight surroundings of the womb. There is nothing inhumane about swaddling when done correctly. After some digging, I found a blog in which a mom talks about her experience with swaddling and how there are MANY misconceptions out there and, of course, everyone has their opinion about how to do it right.

In many societies, swaddling has the benefit for the mother of keeping the infant safe and comfortable while she performs her daily tasks. There are some things you just can’t do while holding an infant. In our society, there are a plethora of products available to keep your child out of your arms. We tend to use things such as a bouncer seat or a baby swing to keep our children occupied while we do things like prepare meals, wash dishes, do laundry, and other tasks that require free hands and a mind at ease. These items perform the same basic task that swaddling does for the parents of other societies.

Upon searching for baby entertainers online, a good portion of the 7 million results were places to purchase them, reviews, and guides on which are the best. It seems that there isn’t much talk against these types of products.

http://clubmomme.com/blog/2012/4/11/the-truth-about-swaddling.html

This is one of the most incredible blogs I’ve read in a very long time. The amount of information in here is stunning, like you practically wrote the book on the subject. Your blog is great for anyone who wants to understand this subject more.
Thanks
exercise education

Swaddling babies is common around the world. Wrapping babies may help calm them down but, is it safe for them? It is proven affective for calming babies and helping them sleep. When they are in the womb, the are confined to limited space. Swaddling is a method of trying to mimic the womb. The world is too big for them. They move there arms too much. If they are not swaddled, they often hit themselves in the face causing them to wake up. As a parent, I did not swaddle. It was not because I was against it, I just was uneducated about it and it's possible benefits. I also loved holding my children and playing with them which would be hard to do if they were bound tightly. Had I been more familiar with swaddling, I probably would have considered it. My children weren't the best sleepers and if I had something like swaddling help me in that area, I may have been and advocated for swaddling. Author of the Happiest Baby on the Block and famed pediatrician, Dr. Harvey Karp is a firm believer in swaddling. He gives tips on how swaddling should be done properly, which is a concern for a lot of parents. He says the key is for the arms to be snug at the side, but allowing the hips and legs some movement within the swaddling. He believes the child does so much better if it is in an environment that resembles the womb. He categorized the need to mimic this as the "5 S's For Soothing Babies". Swaddling is at the top of the list, followed by shushing, side or stomach lying, swinging and sucking. Dr. Karp considers swaddling very safe. It keeps them in place when you lay them down. The older they get, around 3-4 months the child beings to roll and swaddling is a concern.

There are many pros and cons of swaddling that are deciding factors for any one considering it with their child. The benefits of swaddling range from helping the baby sleep. The swaddling can keep him/ her from making sudden movement and startling themselves. Swaddling has been noted as helping with decreased crying. Surprisingly, swaddling decreases the risk of accidental suffocation. This of course is attributed to the child being place on their back. They should never be placed on their stomach as they would never be able to roll back over. As with most things that are good, there is usually areas that cause concern. Swaddling can cause hip displaysia. Resolution of this is high without any treatment. The possibility for overheating and loss of circulation is also a reason for concern. This can lead to serious medical complications, not to mention a lot of discomfort and pain for the child.

As parents decide if swaddling is for them and their children, they can rest assured, that there are many other parents debating the same thing. Many of them do it and are glad that they did. There will always be exceptions. baby swaddling has been a very common practice since ancient times. The techniques have changed since then for the better. it is still a customary practice in many parts of the world, including the United States and is making a come back. Nowadays, the purpose of baby swaddling is no longer to retract the child's movement, but to make him more comfortable and secure, providing him/her with better rest- as well as better rest for the parents. Swaddling is definitely applicable to todays practices and parenting styles. To each his/ her own. We are lucky to have a diverse culture in the United States, that we don't all do what each other are doing. We are individually responsible with raising our own children. How we choose to do it, is our right.

http://www.happiestbaby.com/dr-karp-in-the-news/television/abc-news-repo...
http://www.livestrong.com/article/284755-pros-and-cons-of-swaddling-your...

Not having any children of my own, I am somewhat unfamiliar with this topic. I have many younger siblings that I have helped raise, and my mother swaddled us all. She never was caught up in the debate of whether it was good or bad, it was just something that she did. I grew up thinking that everyone was swaddled when they were infants; I was unaware that there were arguments against it. Because of my limited knowledge on this topic, I have decided to research into some of the pros and cons of swaddling.
I quickly found an article featured in The Huffington Post UK which noted that since the trend to swaddle children has risen in recent years, so has the cases in hip dysplasia. The article defines hip dysplasia as when “the baby’s hips are loosen around the time of birth…. [and] then by wrapping the baby tightly, their legs are straighten within the first three to four months of life” (Trends for Swaddling Babies).
Livestrong.com (a health website that, yes, is a partner with Lance Armstrong’s foundation) also has an interesting article on the negative consequences of swaddling. This article mentions that if the swaddling is done incorrectly, it could increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which they call SIDS. The main arguments that it points out is suffocation if the blanket becomes loose, hip dysplasia, too tight a wrap can limit the baby’s lung function, and it can cause overheating. These are very real concerns that one should have when swaddling their, or another’s, child, so it is important that one learn how to swaddle a baby correctly.
Much of the argument for swaddling contains many of the same reasons. The most common one I found was that it mimics how the baby felt in the womb, giving it a more comfortable environment. Swaddling also calms down crying. It also provides a good way to keep your infant warm.
While doing some research on swaddling, I found that there are many different options for blankets that claim to give your baby the “safest swaddle”. Some are even made with organic cotton, come with how-to videos, and testimonials on how well the blankets work. Even with all the negative claims out in the media about swaddling, it still provides a large market for people to create and sell swaddling accessories. In all the articles I read about the negative consequences of swaddling, they all mentioned that if done right, it is beneficial to the baby. Looking more in depth into this topic has really opened my eyes on how I might care for my own children in the future.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/13/swaddling-babies-rise-of-hip-...

http://www.livestrong.com/article/165243-the-danger-in-swaddling-an-infant/

As I do not have any children of my own, i don't see the importance of swaddling. But I do agree that it can be an effective form of child care if used moderately. As described in the book swaddling was used to keep children out of trouble and in close proximity of the parent if attention was needed. For those uses I do believe that swaddling should still be utilized today.

I think swaddling historically has been used to limit the interaction time between parent and child. Today I see swaddling used more moderately. We have evolved from cradle boards and tight wraps that may have harmed the child; and have moved to strollers, cribs and play pens. Strollers mimic the old forms in swaddling as it allows for us to bring our infants with us as we accomplish our daily tasks. Play pens and cribs replace the wraps as they allow for the child to interact with its surroundings on a smaller scale and in essence keep themselves preoccupied as we complete a task.

In all I don't believe that swaddling has been completely phased out of our lives. I believe that we have just modified it so that it benefits the child more as well.

Swaddling newborns in blankets is a remarkable idea. During the pregnancy, the fetus is securely positioned in the mother’s womb. A swaddle can provide reassurance and accustomed perceptions to calm the baby down, because they will feel secure when they sleep. Medical research has proven that when babies are swaddled, they receive more REM sleep and wake up less frequently during the night. Newborns should not be swaddled to restrict them at all times.

Swaddling newborns can become a safety issue when the parent is not educated. Becoming familiar with how to swaddle a baby and protections to take will ensure safety. A safety precaution when swaddling a newborn is to make sure that the face and head are not covered. The swaddle should not be loose, but snug. The baby must also be able to move their limbs and should not be chest constricted. Another option is to use a swaddling sack.

A very common concern for parents is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This is when babies stop breathing during the night due to suffocation, failure to wake up, overheating, etc. This can be a devastating event to the parent, and so it is questioned if swaddling will result in SIDS. It has been statistically proven that swaddled babies are less likely to get SIDS than those that are left “open” (and role on their stomachs).

http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=1&id=510677
http://www.swaddlingtruth.com/research.html

Despite the fact that Americans are proponents of individualism and freedom of movement there still seem to be more recommendations to use swaddling during the first few months of infancy. Most of my knowledge of swaddling (which isn’t much) comes from taking care of my nephew. My sister-in-law insisted on using swaddling, saying that wrapping the baby up would keep him from waking because of a startle reflex. After researching this a little, I found reasons for and against restraining infants. Most research leaned towards swaddling because casual flailing would cause the infant to wake up or be unable to sleep. Some others believed that the startle reflex was a natural instinct and shouldn’t be suppressed by binding the child tightly. My nephew was only swaddled when he was sleeping, at all other times he was loosely wrapped in a blanket that allowed freedom to move. I think in modern, complex societies swaddling becomes a simple choice of the parents.
Swaddling in other cultures seems to be used much more frequently even when the infant is awake. It’s interesting the many ideas, both physical and religious, that cultures come up with to justify the immobilization of infants. What starts as simply being a functional purpose to protect a child becomes more complex and layered with religious overtones. Swaddling becomes a means to protect the shield from physical harm and to ward off evil.
It’s interesting to read about Americans giving preferential treatment to the wants and needs of their infants to allow the development of unique personality and individualism. My sister-in-law imposed a pretty strict regime on my nephew when he was born. Schedules were followed to the letter for sleeping, eating, etc. My own mother said she had done this for my older brother as well. By the time my twin brother and I were born, schedules became more flexible. Having 3 children under the age of 2, schedules couldn’t always be followed. My mother said that while my older brother slept well, my twin and I didn’t sleep regularly or very well. Most cultures seem to advocate consistent schedules and restrictions for infants. It seems unlikely that restrictions on an infant will dampen or suppress the later development of individualism and personality.

My wife and I just recently had a little boy. Before his arrival we learned that swaddling would help our son sleep longer and be more comfortable because a baby is used to being snuggled tight in the womb. Immediately after his arrival in the world our little boy was wrapped up tightly in a blanket. He seemed to be very comfortable. I assumed that we would swaddle him like this until he was at least three months old, but that wasn't the case.

When my wife had her second ultrasound, we could see our little boy had his hands on his face. During the first few days of his life, he like to be swaddled, but the older he got the more he wanted to be free. He loves to kick and move and have his hands on or near his face. After he was 3 weeks old if we tried to swaddle him, but he would get mad and would cry and cry until we loosened his arms and allowed him to be free.

Upon further researching swaddling for this post, I found a website that said that swaddling prevents and stops hyperventilation and upper chest breathing. This means that there is improved blood, brain and body oxygenation which improves sleep, digestion, and can stop or prevent SIDS, rashes, digestive issues, and other health problems.

www.normalbreathing.com/why-when-to-stop-swaddling.php