Parentpedia

What Experts Say

Swaddling refers to wrapping a baby tightly in a receiving blanket or swaddling cloth. The theory is that a newborn baby, fresh from the confines of the womb, gets a little freaked out by the jerky not-yet-controllable movement of her limbs, and swaddling helps to calm and soothe her.

Babies are almost always swaddled in the hospital, though some parents find their newborns don't seem to like it once they are home. Swaddling is thought to help babies reduce crying and sleep deeper and longer by minimizing startling movements that often happen during sleep.

British parenting expert Penelope Leach believes that efficient swaddling is magically soothing. However, William Sears, M.D., one of America's most renowned pediatricians, argues that babies should not be swaddled through the night and that they should not be tightly swaddled past three months. He suggests that swaddling might interfere with muscle development and be uncomfortable.

A 2002 Washington University study found that swaddled babies were more likely to sleep soundly at night, since the wrapping prevented them from waking themselves with their startle reflex, a reaction to dreams during REM sleep. Other studies have shown that babies who are swaddled at night are more alert and attentive during the day and have a decreased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Some experts, like Dr. Alan Greene, suggest that babies who flail out of the blanket, or who are transitioning away from being swaddled, be swaddled so the cloth wraps just below the arms, confining the lower body but leaving the torso free.

How to Swaddle a Baby

• Lay a blanket on a flat surface and fold down the top-right corner about 6 inches. Smile and tell your baby you're going to wrap him up like a burrito.
• Place your baby on his back with his head on the fold.
• Pull the corner near your baby's left hand across his body, and tuck the leading edge under his back on the right side under the arm.
• Pull the bottom corner up under your baby's chin.
• Bring the loose corner over your baby's right arm and tuck it under the back on his left side. If your baby prefers to have his arms free, you can swaddle him under the arms. This gives him access to his hands and fingers.

Safety Note

Don't wrap your baby so tightly that it makes it hard for her to breathe, and, obviously, don't cover your baby's face with the material. Always use a lightweight blanket to swaddle your infant -- a heavy one could make her too warm and put her at risk for SIDS.