Sleeping bag
Sleeping bag yes or sleeping bag no? Is useful? Which model to choose? Does it help prevent SIDS, cot death? And since when to use it (if to use it). MyModernParents.com asked Gaetano Chirico, Head of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care at the Civil Hospital of Brescia.
10 PHOTOS
Baby sleeping bag, the 10 BEST models
go to the galleryThe sleeping bag is a wide and closed bottom suit that can be used from the first month of life and which often represents a solution to the newborn's problems related to sleep ...
Read also: Premature babies, 10 things to know
In this article
- Is it useful to use the sleeping bag?
- Why premature babies in particular?
- Is it true that the sleeping bag can be used to prevent the risk of SIDS?
- Which model of sleeping bag is to be preferred?
- How to choose the right thickness for the sleeping bag?
- How to dress the baby when using the sleeping bag?
- Up to what age can the sleeping bag be used?
Is it useful to use the sleeping bag?
The sleeping bag can represent a convenient alternative to sheets and blankets, which, with the baby's movements, can tangle, cover his face or make him uncovered, making him wake up. Furthermore, the smaller the baby is, the more the sleeping bag gives him that feeling of envelopment and containment experienced in intrauterine life. An even more useful sensation for premature babies.
Why premature babies in particular?
Because the premature baby, being born prematurely, loses contact with the restricted environment constituted by the uterus. The sleeping bag allows him to keep gods very precise boundaries, to always touch against something, to feel surrounded, almost as if he were still in his mother's womb. Precisely for this reason, after experimenting with various principals, we decided to adopt it in our Intensive Care Unit. Obviously these are specific sleeping bags for such small children, without straps but with the shape of a real sack, to facilitate greater containment in an age when the child does not move much and does not risk slipping down. with the little head.
Is it true that the sleeping bag can be used to prevent the risk of SIDS?
To date, there are no scientific studies that certify that the sleeping bag prevents SIDS, that is the syndrome of cot death, but it is true that the sleeping bag, thanks to the suspenders, can prevent the child from slipping under the covers with the head, with the risk of suffocation. Furthermore, the bag, chosen on the basis of the ambient temperature, favors the maintenance of the right body temperature, avoiding overheating, another SIDS risk factor.
Which model of sleeping bag is to be preferred?
The most common model of sleeping bag is the one with shoulder straps, which keeps the arms free. Some models for the winter have long sleeves, often removable, so you can decide to apply them for example when you go out of the house and take them off indoors. They are generally divided into various sizes, to be chosen based on the age and / or length of the child.
Read also: The best sleeping bagsHow to choose the right thickness for the sleeping bag?
There are summer models, in cotton jersey, and winter models, with an internal padding similar to that of down jackets.
What is the Tog, unique that defines the thermal resistance
For a more precise indication, many manufacturers specify the Tog, which is the unit of measurement that defines the thermal resistance of a fabric. The Tog of the sleeping bags vary from 0,5, for the lighter models, to 2,5 for the heavier ones. There is also Tog 3, but for the temperatures in our homes it is excessive, considering that in the child's room it should never exceed 18-20 ° at night.
Sleeping bag in summer?
If the temperature exceeds 27 ° -28 ° in the summer, it is best to avoid using the sleeping bag altogether and leave the baby uncovered.
How to dress the baby when using the sleeping bag?
Under the sleeping bag the very normal onesie that would be put under the sheet and blankets are good, from the sleeveless bodysuit to the onesie in light cotton or chenille, depending on the season and the temperature of the room. The rule to keep in mind is that the baby must not sweat and the extremities must remain cool.
Read also: The sleeping bag with feetUp to what age can the sleeping bag be used?
There are models that reach up to 36 months, but the main advantages of the sleeping bag, namely safety in sleep and a feeling of containment, are concentrated in the first three to six months of life. After this period, the use of the sleeping bag depends mostly on the preferences of the mother and above all of the child, who can see it as one of the habits and rituals accompanying sleep and thus favoring sleep.
Read also: The sleeping positionsQuestions and answers
Is the sleeping bag useful?
The sleeping bag can represent a convenient alternative to sheets and blankets, which, with the baby's movements, can tangle, cover his face or make him uncovered, making him wake up. Furthermore, the smaller the baby is, the more the sleeping bag gives him that feeling of envelopment and containment experienced in intrauterine life. An even more useful sensation for premature babies.
The sleeping bag prevents SIDS: is it true?
To date, there are no scientific studies that certify that the sleeping bag prevents SIDS, that is the syndrome of cot death, but it is true that the sleeping bag, thanks to the suspenders, can prevent the child from slipping under the covers with the head, with the risk of suffocation. Furthermore, the bag, chosen on the basis of the ambient temperature, favors the maintenance of the right body temperature, avoiding overheating, another SIDS risk factor.
Up to what age of the newborn can the sleeping bag be used?
There are models that reach up to 36 months, but the main advantages of the sleeping bag, namely safety in sleep and a feeling of containment, are concentrated in the first three to six months of life. After this period, the use of the sleeping bag depends mostly on the preferences of the mother and above all of the child, who can see it as one of the habits and rituals accompanying sleep and thus favoring sleep.
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