Swaddling baby not hip
Tuesday March 13th, 2012
Swaddling clothes for babies have been making a come-back - but it causes damage to the infant hips, an expert has warned.
Some
web-sites even sell tight "swaddlers", promoting them as a solution
for colic.
But orthopaedic surgeon Professor Nicholas Clarke says this is causing an increase in cases of condition called hip dysplasia.
Most children can recover from the condition - but swaddling prevents them from moving their joints and recovering naturally, according to Professor Clarke. This means they need surgery.
This week has been declared Baby Hip Health Week by the STEPS charity.
Professor Clarke, of Southampton General Hospital, said: "This form of swaddling used to be very commonly used across the world but, with the help of major educational programmes such as the one used to eliminate the problem in Japan in the 1980s, it was all but eradicated and cases reduced drastically.
"Now, I and my colleagues across the UK and in America are witnessing its revival, with swaddlers being advertised on the internet that tightly wrap babies. For the hips, that is exactly what you don't want to happen."
Professor Clarke says there is a safe way to swaddle babies.
He said this "means ensuring babies are not rigidly wrapped but have enough room to bend their legs - they don’t need to have their legs straightened as there is plenty of time to stretch before they start to walk."
He added: "But, and this is worrying the orthopaedic community, it seems to be increasingly fashionable among parents to follow the re-emerging trend of tight swaddling."
Sue Mcdonald, of the Royal College of Midwives, added: "We advise parents to avoid swaddling, but it is also crucial that we take into account each mother's cultural background, and to provide individualised advice to ensure she knows how to keep her baby safe, able to move and not get overheated."
Tags: Child Health | Orthopaedics | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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