Swaddling Babies Could Be Linked To Sudden Deaths, Experts Warn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Many parents swaddle their babies to comfort them and help them sleep better, but research shows the popular practice can be deadly in some cases.
As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez reported Monday, a new study links swaddling to sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.
New parents have been told for some time to put their babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS. And many parents wrap their newborns in blankets because it soothes them.
But parents are now being told they must be careful about how they place their babies to sleep when they are swaddled.
Nadine Chawla swaddles her 2-month-old son, Adnan, every time he goes to sleep.
"He was used to like being in my womb, and he was like used to being, like, constricted, and that's like a position of comfort," Chawla said.
Many parents use the wrapping technique on new babies. But the study in the Journal of Pediatrics shows swaddling may increase the risk of SIDS when a baby is swaddled and put to sleep on their side or abdomen.
"You want to make sure as the parent, you are always putting them back to sleep on their backs," said American Academy of Pediatrics spokeswoman Dr. Corrin Cross. "Researchers found the risk of SIDS was higher for older babies, since they can roll over on their stomachs."
Experts say swaddling should not be used for infants over 2 months old, and suggest using wearable blankets or sleep sacks instead.
Cross also said tight swaddling may cause a baby to sleep too deeply.
"As much as we don't want your child up all night long, we also don't want them so tightly sort of cocooned that they don't wake up when they need to," she said.
Chawla said for her, swaddling has been a major help. But now, she plans to start using sleep sacks instead.
The bottom line, Dr. Gomez reported, is that you should always put babies to sleep on their backs, not too tightly wrapped, especially as they get old enough to roll over. And even though it does not look as inviting, parents are also advised to keep cribs pretty much empty.