Disadvantages Of Swaddling Your Baby

A growing body of research suggests that swaddling may lead to future skeletal deformities of the hips of the fetus. This deformity develops because swaddling stretches the baby's hip, squeezing the buttocks forward, increasing the baby's risk of hip dislocation and leading to hip arthritis, which may require hip replacement surgery to correct as the baby grows older .

Swaddling can be done safely without restricting the baby's legs from bending up and straight out, allowing the baby's hip joints to grow naturally. Parents should not wrap or squeeze their baby's feet together when swaddling their baby, and buy ready-made swaddles that have a loose structure on the baby's legs, allowing the baby to move their legs.

To prevent hip dysplasia, your baby's legs should not be wrapped straight. Girls among newborns are more likely to have stunted growth caused by improper swaddling. So make sure the legs are flexed when wrapping your baby, leaving enough room at the bottom of the swaddle blanket so the baby can bend her legs freely.