With THB’s technique’s recommendation of swaddling the babies arms down can it be dangerous and would it make babies feel ‘vulnerable’?
We are unaware of any study that has shown that swaddling with the arms of a full term baby at the side leads to any ill effect. The only recommendation for arms up swaddling is for preemies…this helps them be more alert and neurologically organized. However, this is not a concern for term babies who are being swaddled to improve sleep and to soothe crying. This is why this approach has received the overwhelming support of all groups in the US…from the doulas (DONA) to the Surgeon General, from the founder of Lamaze to La Leche League, from Prevent Child Abuse America to Attachment Parenting International. Most of Native Americans swaddled their babies with the arms down until ~6 months and they were well known to be brave and independent. The evidence of swaddling with arms down shows overwhelmingly that babies have more relaxed heart rates and respirations and that they sleep better (longer…yet they are more arouseable so they are less at risk for death-SIDS). This approach (with arm
