Just 30-40 years ago there was not even a debate about whether to swaddle a baby at night or not. Pediatricians have authoritatively asserted that a baby who flaps his arms and legs during sleep and sleeps poorly can injure himself. They even specially developed swaddling techniques - wide, semi-loose or tight. Meanwhile, some mothers have never learned to “shackle” their babies, and their development is no different from children who are less fortunate. So should you swaddle or not? If yes, up to what age? Questions remain open.
History of baby diapers
The tradition of swaddling children in past times was widespread throughout the world. Every mother instinctively strives to protect her baby from the cold and create the most cozy and comfortable conditions for him. The diaper is simple in design. In the first months of life, the baby grows very quickly, and you have to buy new rompers and undershirts for him at least once a month. With a limited budget, such expenses may be undesirable. So why not follow the example of our ancestors and buy diapers as the first clothing for your child? In Rus', there was a tradition of using the shirts of a parent of the same sex as the child to swaddle a newborn. It was believed that the energy of the family was transmitted through clothing. Often such “diapers” were considered something of a talisman capable of protecting the baby.
Strict and loose swaddling
There are more than ten different ways to swaddle a newborn. Pediatricians and early development specialists suggest dividing all techniques into two large groups: loose swaddling and strict. More recently, domestic doctors called for practically “tying” the child with a diaper. Strict - tight - swaddling a newborn involves securing the baby with legs fully straightened and arms extended along the body. It is believed that in this position the child will fall asleep very quickly. In addition, supporters of tight swaddling emphasize its convenience for parents. There is a popular belief in our country that if you swaddle a child’s legs tightly, they will become perfectly straight and even. This is a misconception; in fact, the shape of the limbs does not change from the choice of clothes for the baby at an early age. How do modern experts advise to swaddle an infant? Many pediatricians recommend loose swaddling. This option implies that the baby wrapped in a diaper will be able to move his limbs freely.
Advantages and disadvantages of swaddling
Before being born, babies are in a confined space. The fact that it expands causes stress. Accordingly, the restriction calms you down and ensures a more restful and healthy sleep. Children frighten themselves with reflex movements, and can even cause harm or scratch. Therefore, you should not give up diapers at an early age.
Pros of swaddling:
- Saving. Babies outgrow clothes quickly, and the pieces of fabric have universal sizes - they can be used up to 6-7 months.
- Safety. There are no rough seams or buttons, no chafing, no mechanical damage.
- It is warmer in a multilayer cocoon than in clothes. And with loose, wide swaddling, it’s even more convenient.
- An immobilized body is easier for inexperienced parents to pick up, and the likelihood of injury due to careless movements is reduced several times.
Attention!
Weakened and premature babies need ligamentous support. Sliders and “men” cannot provide it. A dense cocoon has a calming effect on hypertonicity and hyperexcitability syndrome.
When deciding whether to swaddle a child or not, you need to evaluate the disadvantages of the method. If colic is often tormented, to relieve it, it is recommended to turn him on his stomach - that is, to free him from contraction.
If the cocoon is tight, it makes breathing difficult and interferes with blood supply. A prolonged static position can provoke health problems, disrupt the delivery of oxygen to organs and tissues, and interfere with the absorption of nutrients. In a warm apartment it is easy to provoke overheating, which is more dangerous for boys.
There is another significant argument against it. Some parents never learned how to swaddle properly, which causes babies to open up, become overcooled, or feel uncomfortable due to an unnatural position. Switching to clothes - the modern clothing industry offers a wide variety of models - will help them avoid many problems and save their nerves. Inserting a child into wide onesies is much easier than ensuring a secure fit in pieces of fabric.
What are the benefits of diapers for a baby?
The first months of a child’s life are a period of adaptation to environmental conditions. After the closeness of the mother's womb, the baby finds himself in a world where nothing limits his personal space. Such freedom can frighten the baby. It is for this reason that most parents answer the question: “Is it necessary to swaddle a child in the first months of life?” answer in the affirmative. It is in the diaper that the baby feels as protected and comfortable as in the mother’s womb. Swaddling is relevant for newborns born in the cold season. A baby wrapped in a diaper will be warmer than his peer dressed in a vest and under a blanket. It will be useful for parents to master tight swaddling to eliminate the possibility of the newborn unwinding on its own during sleep. Pediatricians agree that infants who flinch when falling asleep should be swaddled. This behavior can be seen in many children. We are talking about the so-called Moro reflex - a manifestation of imperfect functioning of the nervous system. Having noticed that the child twitches and moves in his sleep in the first months of life, parents should not worry. As the baby grows and develops, this symptom will pass, but it is advisable to report it to the attending physician. A diaper will help your baby fall asleep calmly, in which he will not be able to make such active movements unconsciously.
Duration of wrapping
Why swaddle a baby? The embryo feels comfortable and cozy in the womb. After birth, the baby needs time to adapt to the new world. Clothes help to get used to the new environment and also calm the child.
Infants are swaddled based on the child's temperament and activity. Pediatricians recommend using diapers for up to 4 weeks. Babies find it difficult to settle in and are also afraid of their limbs in their sleep. Children develop individually. For some, two months are enough to get out of diapers; for others, half a year is not enough to adapt.
How much you need to swaddle a newborn baby depends on the activity and calmness of the baby. It is worth stopping wrapping the baby when the child unwraps himself and is capricious while wrapped. By 3 months, the baby masters control of arms and legs. You can swaddle a baby with your hands up to 4 months of age. Restriction of freedom can affect the development of limbs.
Is it possible to swaddle a baby at 5 months? Not necessarily, if the baby is not afraid of his arms and legs in his sleep, actively plays during the day, and is not capricious without diapers. But perhaps the baby has difficulty falling asleep, in which case it is better to wrap the baby up for sleep.
Tight swaddling is harmful after 5 months. It will affect the psychological and physical development of children. It is recommended to use a loose type of wrapping. You shouldn't swaddle until you're eight months old. The baby may learn to sit late, and this will also lead to poor coordination.
Cons of swaddling
Until what age do modern parents swaddle their children? And isn't it harmful? The diaper limits the motor activity and freedom of the newborn. If in the first weeks after the baby is born this feature of his personal “cocoon” is even useful, then already at three months it can negatively affect his development. Scientists were able to prove that children who were constantly swaddled (mostly tightly) lag behind their peers who grew up without diapers in some indicators of physical development. However, we are not talking about serious pathologies. Swaddling too tightly can cause circulatory problems. When mastering this technique of wrapping a baby, remember that your goal is not to tie up the baby. It is enough just to secure the fabric so that the newborn cannot get out of it on his own.
Disadvantages of the method
Numerous scientific studies confirm that tight swaddling is more likely to harm the baby. In this condition, it is impossible for the baby to take the usual fetal position, to roll over onto his stomach, and it is in this position that it is recommended to keep a child with colic.
Tight swaddling constricts the baby's chest and makes breathing difficult. When wrapping a newborn tightly in flaps of fabric, you need to consider the following:
- When dressing a newborn, you should not tighten body parts
, as this impedes blood circulation. Constantly keeping the baby's straightened legs in a static position is fraught with dislocation of the hip joint. - A consequence of difficult blood circulation is a lack of calcium. This element is absorbed by the body during physical activity. If the baby does not move its arms and legs, there is a risk of rickets
. - There is a hypothesis that swaddling has a negative effect on the child's psyche
: the lack of freedom of movement in infancy creates a tendency towards submission. Consequence: a weak-willed personality is formed. - Diapers serve as a means of protection from the cold. In modern apartments with central heating, this is more harmful than useful: there is a high risk of overheating the baby
, especially if a diaper is used. Why swaddle newborns in such conditions, especially boys? In hot countries, there is no practice of wrapping a baby in many layers of cloth. - For discerning parents, the modern clothing industry produces lines of beautiful clothing for babies; diapers are aesthetically inferior to suits and onesies
. The latter take up less space during drying and storage and require a small amount of detergents. - If the room is cold, there is a chance that the baby will break free from the constricting diapers and freeze
. No matter how tightly you wrap a child, active children are able to find a way to get out of captivity. - A newborn sleeps most of the day. Several weeks pass, and he begins to need to explore his surroundings, which swaddling prevents
. - The thermoregulation system in newborns is imperfect, but its safety margin is high. Children are born and live in hot countries and the Far North. even mild hypothermia can
subsequently . - You can put on a diaper in the crib, it is better to wrap the baby on a changing table, but buying one is an expensive pleasure
.
Since ancient times, it has been customary to swaddle newborns. Until now, mothers in maternity hospitals receive their child tightly wrapped in one or even two diapers. After the mother has received her baby, she is shown how to properly swaddle the baby herself.
After being discharged from the hospital, parents are faced with a difficult question: is it worth continuing to swaddle their newborn baby or would it be better to dress him in clothes?
After all, you really want to dress your child in beautiful things as quickly as possible. If you swaddle, then at what age should you continue to do this? And in general, why do this? In this article, let’s look at all the issues in detail and try to find all the arguments on the issue: swaddling a newborn “for” and “against”. Is it necessary to swaddle a newborn baby or can you do without diapers?
Up to what age is it recommended to use diapers?
Today, parents decide whether to swaddle a baby or not. In maternity hospitals, new mothers are offered to use diapers along with diapers. There, under the supervision of pediatricians, you can master all the intricacies of various swaddling techniques. Most doctors agree that it is advisable to swaddle a newborn in the first month of his life. Is it necessary to swaddle a baby at 2-3 months? This can be done for up to 6 months. It is useful for parents to remember that the older the baby gets, the less time he should spend in diapers. In the first month of life, the baby should be unswaddled only during changing clothes, bathing and air baths. By six months, the baby should spend a significant part of his waking hours in clothes that do not restrict movement. But you can and should swaddle your baby at night, provided that the swaddle helps him fall asleep.
Komarovsky: is it necessary to swaddle a baby?
In fact, regarding whether or not to swaddle a newborn, Komarovsky believes that his mental and psychophysical development does not depend at all on whether he was wrapped in diapers or put on undershirts.
Due to the fact that previously in our country many could not afford to buy a large number of baby vests and onesies, but could only afford diapers, which were passed down from older children to younger children, the tradition of using only diapers took root. There is an economic component, and not scientifically proven benefits or harm.
Traditional medicine advocates the possibility of physical activity, and the more the better. When the baby wakes up and is wearing a romper, he begins to move actively, and if he is wrapped in a diaper, he begins to scream and cry.
Benefits of going diaper free:
in a hot room, a swaddled baby may overheat;
washing vests requires less water, detergents and is easier to dry;
the child may turn around at night and become hypothermic;
more freedom of action.
On the other hand, if you have about twenty diapers left from your older children, it is completely unreasonable to throw them away, why not use them again? After all, economic benefits and the nervous state of parents are no less important.
There is a version that when a baby is wrapped in a diaper, he feels more protected, like in the womb. The baby's body temperature is not constant and the diaper warms the body, but it is important to prevent overheating.
Sometimes doctors prescribe swaddling for dysplasia or disorders in the development of the hip joint, as well as for premature babies. Often in a dream, a child can wake himself up if his arms or legs twitch involuntarily.
In the heated question of whether or not to swaddle a newborn, Komarovsky answers: “Choosing between diapers and undershirts is a personal matter for a particular family. But in any case, we are not even talking about tight swaddling - only loose wrapping. If you have a preference for diapers, you should choose only high-quality diapers.”
The question “Should we swaddle a newborn” was not before our grandmothers, and especially our great-grandmothers. They couldn’t even think that swaddling could be abolished. The diaper for newborns came to us from the distant past. And its appearance was influenced by areas with a cool climate. In such areas it is not possible to flaunt around in a minimum of clothing all the time. And the mother could not hold the newborn in her arms around the clock; the diaper made it possible to separate from the newborn for a while, go to eat, for example, do a little work or just sleep. And there wasn’t much choice then. It was a time of shortage and sliders were produced only for crawling children. And now, when in our world there is an alternative to almost everything and everyone, we make a decision - to follow swaddling that has long been tried and proven to be positive, or to keep up with the times and abandon swaddling newborns. Actually, no matter what you choose, everything has its pros and cons (pros and cons).
Should I swaddle a newborn - The advantages of swaddling A newborn baby's movements are not yet coordinated at all. The child is often frightened by the spontaneous movement of his arms and legs. Therefore, the child needs to feel the surface next to his body. Of course, it is best if this surface is the mother. But the mother cannot always hold the newborn in her arms, for example during sleep, and then the mother can change the diaper. During short periods of pregnancy, the fetus is still very small and it “floats” in the amniotic fluid without touching the walls of the uterus. But as the child grows, every month he comes into more and more contact with the walls of the uterus, and in the last months he presses against them quite tightly. But the child perceives this not as a restriction of freedom, but as knowledge of his body. Therefore, now the newborn feels comfortable curled up in a swaddle, his legs are bent to his chin, and his arms are crossed on his chest. This position reminds him of the position in his mother’s tummy. With this swaddling, the baby is not pinched by the diaper, but is wrapped loosely in it. This swaddling is called “Free”. Gradually, the newborn baby gets used to it and is no longer afraid of his arms and legs. So it's time to give up swaddling. Throughout the post-Soviet space, they used to teach how to swaddle a baby with outstretched arms and legs. This method of swaddling is called “tight”. But such swaddling was most likely used to simplify the work of medical staff in maternity hospitals. The legs will not become straighter from such swaddling and the hypertonicity will not subside. Children used to be placed separately from their mothers in the nursery, and they themselves had to care for a large number of newborns, and the swaddled children behaved quietly. And it’s much easier to sterilize diapers than small baby clothes. Nowadays, even in family homes, such swaddling is no longer practiced.
Relatively recently, a new fashion for refusing diapers has emerged. And she found a large number of supporters. But even now there are quite a few specialists who are convinced that swaddling is necessary for newborns in the first month of life.
Should I swaddle a newborn - The advantages of not swaddling Now many parents, returning home from home, put rompers, overalls and blouses on their child. And they have scientifically based arguments for this. The main one of these arguments is the faster development of a baby free from diapers. As soon as the baby learns to coordinate them, motor skills and, accordingly, thinking will develop more quickly. And as they say, life is in motion. The child moves his arms and legs - this is a kind of exercise and muscle training, which only has a positive effect on the further development and ability to control his body. They say that unswaddled babies begin to crawl and even walk faster.
But in the first month (or maybe less), parents who refuse swaddling will have to hold him in their arms very often so that the baby is calmer and needs to be prepared for this.
It’s rare that a mother, going to the maternity hospital, does without a pile of diapers; they are a classic part of the baby’s trousseau. Having received the baby in their arms, parents wonder whether it is necessary to swaddle a newborn or is this method a relic of the past? There are so many wonderful miniature clothes in stores, and you want to give your child the best.
If you ask any grandmother about this, everyone will advise you to work harder, keeping in mind the system of care adopted in the USSR. Pediatricians, following the example of Dr. Komarovsky, do not consider the problem too serious and do not give specific explanations. There is currently no single system for how to care for a baby at home. Moms and dads make decisions based on financial capabilities, characteristics of the child and personal experience.
From this article you will learn
To swaddle or not is an individual question
We are all different, and every newborn baby is a little personality with its own character and behavioral characteristics. You can understand what a particular child needs by monitoring his reaction. Swaddling a newborn should bring positive emotions to the baby. If your swaddled baby is acting restless and wants to get out, you might want to try dressing him in clothes and covering him with a blanket on top. Many newborns calm down and fall asleep instantly as soon as they are swaddled. In this case, you should not refuse swaddling at night.
Useful tips for using diapers
Today, diapers can be bought at any children's store, and if you wish, it is not at all difficult to sew them yourself. The most important thing is that the product is made of 100% natural cotton. Choose diapers according to the season: thin ones for summer, and warm ones for the cold season. Starting from the second month of life, it is advisable to leave the baby without diapers for long periods of wakefulness. This will help him more actively explore the capabilities of his own body and the world around him. Knowing the age at which children are swaddled, many parents ask a logical question: “How to wean a child off swaddling after 6 months?” It is not necessary to use any special tactics. If a “big” baby loves to fall asleep in a diaper, there is no point in denying him this pleasure. Over time, the child will grow up and independently refuse swaddling, even at night.
Alternative to diapers
Some parents consider swaddling an outdated option for newborn care. If for some reason a mother does not want to use diapers, she can choose a worthy replacement. Many manufacturers of children's clothing delight young parents with special sleeping bags and envelopes. In addition, for the little ones you can choose pillows and sleep supports. All these modern innovations can greatly make mom’s life easier. Up to what age modern parents swaddle their children, you now know. All that remains is to decide whether you personally want to use diapers.
