A perspective from the practice of swaddling by Turkish mothers

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the practice of swaddling by Turkish mothers residing in different areas of the country (rural or urban), and determine to their level of knowledge on its positive and negative effects on children's health. Material and Methods: A total of 632 mothers with an infant aged 0-3 months who presented to our University Hospital volunteered their participation and 598 mothers were included in the study. The study was based on a questionnaire form given to the mothers. Results: Two hundred eighty three (283) mothers swaddled their infants (47.3 %), while 315 mothers did not swaddle (52.7%). The mothers that swaddled their baby cited tradition ("That's what I learned from my elders") as the most common reason (38%) for swaddling. The most important reason (32%) for not swaddling was the mothers' belief "that it would prevent normal development". Conclusion: In Turkey, the swaddling tends to decrease with the increase of maternal education level and socio-economic situation. The level of Turkish mother's knowledge about beneficial and adverse effect of swaddling were insufficient. We think that the information about properly swaddling should be given to mothers In order to benefit from it's positive effects and at the same time and avoid its adverse effects. Hippokratia 2012; 16 (2): 130-136