On the long road to raising a baby, which problem is the most difficult to solve?
I believe that many mothers' answers will be "coaxing babies to sleep", indeed, since the birth of the baby, sleeping a whole night has become the luxury of countless mothers, and the young mothers who stayed up late until the early morning in the past were eager to go to bed at eight or nine o'clock.
However, the reality is often counterproductive, it is difficult to coax the baby to sleep, after putting it on the bed, the baby is instantly open eyes, full of interest, without a trace of drowsiness, in the face of this scene, try to ask which parent can not feel the collapse?
In order to let the baby sleep peacefully, many mothers are trying various "tricks". For example, wrapping the baby in swaddling is the traditional method of coaxing babies passed down by the old people, and it is really useful, and the vast majority of babies can effectively improve the quality of sleep after wrapping up swaddling.
So why is it so magical to wrap your baby in swaddling? And how to wrap your baby properly, and what are the potential dangers of swaddling?
Why does your baby sleep soundly when swaddled?
1. Can simulate the uterine environment
Shortly after the baby is born, after leaving the mother's warm womb and amniotic fluid, he is not accustomed to the external environment, often lacks a sense of security when sleeping, and is easily stimulated to wake up.
After wrapping the baby in swaddles, you can simulate the baby's environment in the womb, continue the feeling of being tightly surrounded, and the baby will naturally sleep more soundly after having a stronger sense of security.
2. Relieve the "startling reflex" in your baby's sleep
The baby sleeps soundly after wrapping up in swaddling, and the more important reason is that it can alleviate the "startle reflex" in sleep, making it more difficult for the baby to wake up.
The so-called "startle reflex", also known as the "Moro reflex", is a congenital reflex that the baby is born with, which means that the baby will automatically arch its back and extend its arms and legs when it encounters stimulation within 5-6 months after birth.
When the baby sleeps, if it is slightly stimulated, it is easy to wake up because of the "startle reflex", especially the hand movements, which will seriously interfere with the baby's sleep.
After wrapping the baby in swaddles, it can reduce external interference, limit the baby's hand movements, and when slightly stimulated, it will not be awakened by the "startle reflex", so as to sleep better.
Wrapping your baby in swaddling is risky and parents need to be aware
Although swaddling your baby can be effective in improving sleep, there are also some potential dangers.
First of all, after wrapping up swaddling, the baby will sleep more "deeply" and wake up less often, while for young babies, because the sleep cycle is shorter, the number of awakenings is not necessarily a good thing, which will make them respond more slowly to external stimuli and are more likely to encounter danger, especially if it may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
A study published in Pediatrics mentioned that when swaddled babies are in a side-lying or prone position, the risk of sudden infant death syndrome increases a lot, especially in infants over 6 months of age, and the risk of SIDS is doubled.
Secondly, wrapping the baby too tightly will also limit the development of his hip joint, increasing the probability of developing hip dysplasia (DDH), and once the parents do not find and treat it in time, it will make the baby feel pain when learning to walk, and even limp, leaving a lifelong disability.
The reason for this is that the baby is wrapped too tightly in the swaddle, the legs are restricted from moving, and the hip joint is dislocated, which in turn leads to hip dysplasia.
To avoid this problem, the key is to master the correct swaddling method to leave room for the baby's legs.
How to properly wrap your baby?
The International Hip Dysplasia Association has provided one of the most commonly used methods of swaddling:
1. Take a thin and moderately thick quilt, fold one of the corners, and put the baby on his back to ensure that the baby's head is in the folded position;
2. Lower the baby's left arm, wrap the left arm and chest with the left quilt, and press on the right side of the body;
3. Lower the right arm, wrap the right arm and chest with the right quilt, and press on the left side of the body;
4. Fold the bottom of the quilt, press under the baby's body, leave a larger space for movement, ensure that the baby's legs can be bent and moved at will, especially pay attention to the sides of the baby's thighs, and the activity space must be abundant.
In general, the correct swaddling method should ensure that it is "tight and loose", wrap the baby's upper body tightly to prevent the baby from breaking free, and at the same time leave room for the baby's legs to move to ensure that it can be freely flexed and extended, and ensure the development of the hip joint.
In addition, when the baby learns to turn over, due to the larger range of motion, swaddling will have a restrictive effect on the baby, and we must avoid wrapping it in swaddling.
At this time, coax the baby to sleep, you should think that it has established good sleep habits, created a good sleeping environment, and let the baby go to bed on time.
Old Miao Conclusion:
Although swaddling your baby can indeed be effective in improving sleep, we must also be aware of the potential dangers and learn the correct way to wrap and swaddle.
Finally, if your baby is an "angel baby", does not cry or make trouble when sleeping, and does not need to go to great lengths when sleeping, there is no need to wrap it in swaddling, after all, the original purpose of swaddling is to give the baby a better sleep state.
Today's topic: Do you wrap your baby in swaddling when he sleeps?
I am Lao Miao, a super grandfather after the 80s, and the most eye-catching male head nurse in the hospital, welcome to discuss the issue of pregnancy together, and please pay attention to Lao Miao.