Swaddling can cause hip abnormalities

While swaddling babies has become increasingly popular since Prince George first appeared in public, doctors are now saying it can cause hip problems as they grow.

 

Swaddling involves wrapping your little one in blankets with their arms pinned and legs straightened so that they can’t move. Parents have been turning to the old-fashioned method in order to induce sleep and soothe crying and colic.

 

However, orthopaedic specialists say evidence is showing that babies who do not have their legs free to bend and kick are at risk of suffering abnormal development or possibly dislocation.

 

Figures show that one in five babies is born with a hip abnormality, due to issues such as breech birth or even family history and while these can fix themselves naturally, swaddling can delay the process.

 

Professor Nicholas Clarke, who was behind the research, says that parents should be aware of safe swaddling: "In order to allow for healthy hip development, legs should be able to bend up and out at the hips. This position allows for natural development of the hip joints. The babies' legs should not be tightly wrapped in extension and pressed together."

 

Products purchased for swaddling babies should have a loose pouch or sack for the legs and feet that allows plenty of room for movement.