The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome might increase when an infant is swaddled, according to a new study from the American Association of Pediatrics. (May 11, 2016)
My physician-gaming-group-friends are being swamped by concerned parents because of a new study in Pediatrics that has led to many news articles declaring that swaddling wrapping an infant tightly in a cloth or blanket may increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
According to a recent study in the American Academy of Pediatrics, swaddling increases the risk for sudden infant death syndrome by about one third, and babies sleeping on their stomachs are at the greatest risk.
Overall, the analysis showed an increased risk of SIDS when babies were swaddled for “all babies put together,” said co-author Dr. Rachel Y. Moon, division head of general pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. There was a slight increase in risk when infants were swaddled and placed on their backs, Moon said. Despite these unsurprising conclusions, media outlets seized upon the finding that swaddled babies placed on their back also have an increased risk of SIDS and that swaddled babies over 6 months. While the overall SIDS risk was increased with swaddling, the risk was even greater when swaddled babies were placed on their stomachs to sleep, Moon said.
Those infants, compared to. Suffocation is possible. If an infant is swaddled with thick blankets, this can lead to overheating, which is another high risk factor for SIDS.
If the infant is swaddled with blankets covering the face, this is yet another risk factor for SIDS. The conclusion is no surprise: The SIDS risk for swaddled infants put to sleep on their stomachs and sides increased by about one-third. To swaddle or not? Swaddling, the act of tightly wrapping an infant from the neck down in a light blanket, is touted by many as a cure-all for fussy babies. While swaddling did increase the risk of SIDS, the biggest increase was found not simply with swaddling and being laid on their backs, but being placed in positions no longer recommended (side and belly), as well as swaddling older infants.
We also need to remember that an increased risk doesn’t necessarily mean a high risk. MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) If infants are swaddled during sleep, their risk of dying from SIDS is higher, especially if they are placed on their stomachs, new research suggests. As indicated above, prone swaddled infants are at greatly increased risk for SIDS 8. Particularly relevant here, is that two published studies found that swaddling actually reduces SIDS risk when infants sleep in the supine position 8, 10. However, the potential dangers of.
Although the numbers were small, the risk of SIDS from swaddling increased with age (Table 4), with the highest risk associated with infants aged ≥6 months (OR, 2.53 [95% CI, 1.21–5.23]). Overall, the analysis showed an increased risk of SIDS when babies were swaddled for “all babies put together,” said co-author Dr. Rachel Y. Moon, division head of general pediatrics at the.
List of related literature:
Avoid having the infant sleep in a prone position, overheating the infant, or letting the infant sleep with another person; provide a firm sleeping surface; allow no loose blankets, pillows, or stuffed toys in the infant’s bed; avoid smoking during or after pregnancy.
Avoid allowing the infant to sleep in a prone position, overheating the infant, or letting the infant sleep with another person; provide a firm sleeping surface; allow no loose blankets, pillows, or stuffed toys in the infant’s bed; avoid smoking during or after
Swaddling is associated with a small but significant risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) when infants are placed on their backs for sleep, and swaddled infants placed prone have the highest risk of SIDS.
Before 1992 there was mounting epidemiologic evidence from around the world that infants placed in the prone sleeping position were at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).30-39 Other potential risk factors were soft bedding, swaddling, and recent respiratory or gastrointestinal illnesses.
from Evidence-Based Public Health by and Director of the Prevention Research Center Ross C. Brownson Professor of Epidemiology, Elizabeth A. Baker Associate Professor of Behavioral Science and Health Education, et. al. Oxford University Press, USA, 2002
It is recommended that infants sleep on a firm surface, such as on a safetyapproved crib mattress covered with a fitted sheet without blankets, pillows, wedges, rolls, or toys in their bassinet or crib, since these objects increase the risk of suffocation.
from Netter’s Pediatrics E-Book by Todd Florin, Stephen Ludwig, MD, et. al. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2011
Parents need to know that certain sleep environments (prone sleeping, tobacco smoke exposure, soft bedding, noninfant bed surface, use of certain drugs by the individual sharing the bed with the infant, and thermal stress) can increase the risk for SIDS.
There are many environmental factors that increase the risk of SIDS, including tummy sleeping, sleeping on soft or loose bedding or with pillows or toys, exposure to tobacco smoke, and being overheated.
Reports of sudden unexpected death in swaddled infants are rare, and risks can be reduced by placing infants supine and discontinuing swaddling as soon as infants attempt to roll over, with further risk reduction achieved by removing soft bedding and bumper pads from the infant’s sleeping environment.36
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Doesn’t swaddling restrict blood flow that can lead to oxygen deprivation similar to how a boa constrictor kills its prey (restricting blood flow as opposed to “squeezing” to not allow air intake). How could you not mention this?
We swaddled both my girls as babies but only while they were REALLY small, two months or younger. Once they were older they didnt like it. Iris has always been able to self soothe and sleep on her back while sucking a pacifier. Ashlynn didnt like pacifiers and needed to be rocked to sleep on her belly but would be laid down on her back. So far, at 6 years for one and 7 months for thw other, were doing well!
Is it possible that the decline in SIDS over the years is not linked with the campaign but with the discovery of causes for infant death? These deaths would then no longer be counted as SIDs. (SIDS is just a fancy way of saying that we don’t know why the child died.)
Doesn’t swaddling restrict blood flow that can lead to oxygen deprivation similar to how a boa constrictor kills its prey (restricting blood flow as opposed to “squeezing” to not allow air intake). How could you not mention this?
We swaddled both my girls as babies but only while they were REALLY small, two months or younger. Once they were older they didnt like it. Iris has always been able to self soothe and sleep on her back while sucking a pacifier. Ashlynn didnt like pacifiers and needed to be rocked to sleep on her belly but would be laid down on her back. So far, at 6 years for one and 7 months for thw other, were doing well!
Is it possible that the decline in SIDS over the years is not linked with the campaign but with the discovery of causes for infant death? These deaths would then no longer be counted as SIDs. (SIDS is just a fancy way of saying that we don’t know why the child died.)
I don’t think swaddling should be done at all. Would you like to be put in a straitjacket? Babies should be able to move their arms and legs freely.