What is a hip healthy swaddle?
A hip healthy swaddle is when baby’s hips and knees are supported in a flexed position, and is loose enough around the hips and legs, so baby can move his or her legs. The legs should not be pulled straight or bound together tightly as this can cause problems of the hip joint called hip dysplasia. The hip joints of a newborn are soft, so for proper development of the joints, the baby’s limbs should be supported in a natural, flexed, frog-like position.
It’s easy to learn how to hip healthy swaddle. To promote healthy hips, the baby should be wrapped, so that the legs are able to bend up and out at the hips. This position allows for natural and proper development of the hip joints. Do not wrap the baby’s legs straight or pressed together. The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, with the AAP Section on Orthopaedics, promotes "hip-healthy swaddling" that allows the baby's legs to bend up and out.
Always place baby on his or her back, face up, for every sleep including naps.
SwaddleDesigns Omni Swaddle Sack with Wrap and Transitional Swaddle Sack have been recognized and deemed Hip Healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute