Modern swaddling: a millennia-old tradition reinvented
Valentin Lambert
Swaddling is not just another trend in the world of childcare. Families have been swaddling their babies for thousands of years on several continents.
In France, the practice had almost disappeared. Today, it is making a comeback in a simpler and safer form. Here is where it comes from, what it offers your baby, and how to do it with peace of mind.
A practice thousands of years old
Swaddling is said to have originated about 4,000 years ago in Central Asia, among peoples who led a nomadic lifestyle. It made it easy to move children during long journeys.
The practice then spread. Historians describe it among the Greeks, the Romans, and in many societies in Europe and the Middle East. For centuries, swaddling a newborn was a common, almost universal, act of care.
Why did France abandon it?
Criticism began as early as the late 16th century, with the Swiss surgeon Felix Würtz. In the 17th and 18th centuries, doctors and philosophers increasingly rejected swaddling. In Western Europe, it gradually disappeared.
It should be noted that the version of the time was particularly rigid: very tight bands, and fabric that could slip or come undone. The risks associated with these methods contributed to the abandonment of the practice, and no doubt also to the suspicion that still exists in France.
Since then, knowledge of sleep safety and product design has advanced significantly. This is what allows swaddling to make a quiet return.
Elsewhere in the world, a long-standing tradition
In several regions, swaddling never stopped:
- Turkey and the Middle East: the practice remains very common, generally during the first months of life.
- Central Asia: the beshik (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan) is a cradle in which the baby is swaddled. In southern Kyrgyzstan, more than 90% of mothers surveyed in a study had used it.
- Sámi peoples of Scandinavia: the gietkka is a traditional carrying cradle.
- Indigenous peoples of North America: the cradleboard, notably among the Navajo, protects and carries the baby.
- Russia, China: swaddling is still widespread there.
What is striking about these cultures is the closeness with babies and young children, experienced without judgment. The baby is carried, surrounded, and integrated into family life.
In France, society is rather organized to separate children from their parents early on: mothers returning to work before their baby is 3 months old is one example. Yet, a newborn's primary need remains the same everywhere: to feed and stay close to their mother.
Modern swaddling: simpler, safer
Today, a swaddle sack looks like a sleepsuit with a zipper. There is no longer need to fold a blanket or wonder whether it is too tight or not tight enough.
At MiniLambert, we believe that this version is much less risky than swaddling with a blanket:
- it does not come undone during sleep;
- the fabric does not slip toward the baby's face;
- it is fitted to their size, without knots or straps to tighten.
What the baby feels
A swaddled baby feels contained and secure. This sensation is reminiscent of the one they experienced in utero, surrounded and held. Ultimately, what they are rediscovering is closeness to their mother.
Swaddling also has a very practical effect on sleep. It limits the Moro reflex, that involuntary startle of the arms that often wakes newborns. Fewer micro-awakenings, easier falling asleep: this is what the MiniLambert swaddle sack seeks to promote.
Safety rules to know
Modern swaddling remains safe provided that a few basic rules are followed:
- Always on their back for sleep.
- Nothing in the crib: no pillow, no stuffed animal, no blanket.
- Stop at the first sign of rolling over. Then, you can switch to an evolutionary swaddle sack, with arms out, or to a sleepsuit.
- Leave the hips and legs free to move: swaddling should not constrict the lower body.
- Avoid overheating: choose fabric suited to the room temperature and do not cover the head.
If in doubt, a healthcare professional can advise every family.
In summary
Swaddling has spanned millennia and continents. The cultures that have always practiced it see it above all as a way to keep the baby close and safe. Its modern version takes this idea and adds a design that simplifies its use and reduces its risks.
Sources
Sources consulted via search excerpts, to be verified before publication: