09 May Swaddled Infants At Greater Risk of SIDS

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Anna Pease

Dr Anna Pease
Senior Research Associate
University of Bristol

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Pease:  We tried to gather evidence of whether there was an association between swaddling for sleep and SIDS. This was a review, not a new original study, but it is the first time these data have been brought together to try to quantify any risk between swaddling and SIDS. We only found 4 studies and they were quite different making it difficult to pool the results. We did find, however, that the risk of SIDS when placing infants on their side or front for sleep increased when infants were swaddled.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Dr. Pease:  What clinicians and parents should take away from this paper is that if parents choose to swaddle their babies for sleep, always place them on their back, and think about when to stop swaddling for sleep as their babies get older and more able to move. It may be that some clinicians already give this advice and we hope that they will feel supported by this evidence.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Pease:  The risk of SIDS associated with swaddling still requires further investigation and we hope that future studies of SIDS will include more detailed measures of swaddling.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dr. Pease:  This advice of course goes along with what we already know about safer sleep, which for babies means flat on the back, with a clear face, in a smoke-free home with smoke-free people, in a safe space – close to parents but never on a sofa (couch) or chair, and this advice applies for every sleep, day and night and away from home.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

S. Pease, P. J. Fleming, F. R. Hauck, R. Y. Moon, R. S. C. Horne, M. P. LHoir, A.-L. Ponsonby, P. S. Blair.Swaddling and the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Meta-analysis.PEDIATRICS, 2016; DOI:10.1542/peds.2015-3275

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Last Updated on May 9, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD