Swaddling Practices in an Indian Institution: Are they Hip-Safe? A Survey of Paediatricians, Nurses and Caregivers.
Indian J Orthop
; 55(1): 147-157, 2021 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33569109
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Traditional infant swaddling or binding with hips and knees extended is a known risk factor for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH), while 'hip-safe swaddling' with hips and knees flexed is believed to eliminate this risk. We conducted a survey to determine the prevalent practices for infant swaddling in India; why mothers practice swaddling and who teaches them; and whether Paediatricians, nurses and caregivers are aware of hip-safe swaddling.METHODS:
Anonymous one-time surveys were conducted in three groups-Paediatricians, Nurses and caregivers - at a tertiary-care, urban based, paediatric and maternity hospital.RESULTS:
Forty-five paediatricians, 219 nurses and 100 caregivers were surveyed. Ninety percent caregivers practiced traditional swaddling, for on average 10.2 hours a day, starting soon after birth, up to 4.2 months of life. Traditional swaddling was advocated by 99% nurses and 53% Paediatricians. Reasons for swaddling included sleep, warmth and the misbelief that the child's legs would remain bowed if not bound straight; contrarily few mothers (8%) avoided swaddling out of superstition. Mothers learnt swaddling mainly from relatives (94%) and nurses (64%). Most nurses (70%) had learnt the practice during nursing training. Only 6.6% Paediatricians, 4% caregivers and 0% nurses were aware of 'hip-safe swaddling'.CONCLUSION:
Traditional swaddling of infants is a practice deeply rooted in India, born out of misbeliefs, and propagated by lack of awareness. Training in hip-safe swaddling targeted at nurses and Paediatricians would be an effective initial step in creating awareness among mothers and changing their practices.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article