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Letting babies cry themselves to sleep not harmful, study finds

The findings show that both children and parents benefitted when using the sleep training

A new study has revealed that letting babies cry themselves to sleep is not damaging. Instead, it will help them sleep sooner.

New parents have always wondered whether it is a good idea to comfort crying babies immediately or instead, to allow them to cry it out and fall asleep. Now, a study published in Pediatrics says the second option may not be as bad as it first appears.

For their study, Australian researchers involved 43 sets of parents whose babies, aged 6 to 16 months, had problems sleeping. Participants were divided into three groups. The first group of parents, about one-third of the total, was told to follow the method known as “graduated extinction,” the scientific term for allowing your child to cry before eventually falling asleep. The parents were instructed to put their child to bed and leave the room within one minute. If the child cried, they were asked to wait for increasingly longer periods before going back in to comfort them.

The second group of parents was taught a new technique called bedtime fading. They were asked to put their child to bed at a time closer to his or her bedtime. They were allowed to stay in the room until the child fell asleep.

The rest of the parents formed the control group. They were not taught any sleep training but were instead offered information about infant sleep.

Three months later, measurements showed that children in the first group, who had been allowed to cry themselves to sleep, were falling asleep 15 minutes faster than those in the control group. By comparison, babies whose parents were included in the second group fell asleep around 12 minutes faster. Overall, the babies of parents included in the first group scored better also when it came to the number of times they awoke during the night and the overall sleep duration.

Psychologists believe that when babies fall asleep sooner, this benefits family life in more ways than one. According to Marsha Weinraub, a professor of psychology at Philadelphia’s Temple University, every minute spent trying to make babies fall asleep that is saved brings a significant contribution.

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Swaddling, side and stomach sleeping could increase SIDS risk

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Swaddled babies were found to be at risk of developing SIDS

According to a newly-released study, swaddling and sleeping on the side or on the stomach could increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Swaddling has been described as wrapping an infant in tight cloth or a blanket, with the limbs held close to the body and the head exposed. Although not as popular as in the past, swaddling is something that is believed to help relax the infants and make falling asleep easier.

As revealed by the new research, swaddling babies more than doubled their chances of SIDS. Namely, it found that infants who were swaddled were 50 to 60 percent more likely to be affected by SIDS.

The survey spanned two decades and was conducted in several regions including Australia, England, Tasmania and in the US, namely in Chicago and was led by head researcher Dr. Rachel Moon. According to Moon, risks of developing SIDS increased by 13% when swaddled babies were placed on the side or on their stomachs. Furthermore, the risk was greater for babies around 6 months of age, who can roll over by themselves, Dr. Moon argued.

The study also revealed that for their last sleep 17.5% of infants who developed SIDS were swaddled, compared to 10.8% of surviving infants from a control group. The survey was found to have some limitations, for instance due to the lack of an exact description of the swaddling techniques used across regions and across time.

According to experts, the sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death among babies younger than one year. In 2014 a total of 1,500 babies died in the US alone of SIDS. The findings of the study come to support the medical recommendations currently in place, Dr. Moon stated. Accordingly, babies should not be placed on the side or on their stomachs to sleep. However, according to another expert, the message is even more far-reaching than that. Dr. Gloria Riefkohl, a Miami-based pediatrician, argued that swaddled babies should be always kept under observation. Even when infants do sleep with their parents in the same bed or in the same room, Dr. Riefkohl does not recommend nigh-time swaddling at all, and especially not for sleeping.

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Breastfeeding Could Save Both Babies and Their Mothers

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"breastfeeding is good for babies and mothers"

Babies who are breastfed have a higher chance at a longer, healthier life

We all know that mothers are advised to breastfeed for as long as possible but a new study actually shows that breastfeeding could save both babies and their mothers.

According to a new study, if every women who becomes a mother breastfeeds her baby instead of feeding them with formula, a number of 800,000 children could be saved every year, while other thousands of breast cancer deaths could also be avoided.

The study showed that in high-income countries such as the U.S. only one in five babies is breastfed until 12 months old. In lower-income countries the number is a bit more encouraging as one in three babies is breastfed.

Breast milk represents a form a medicine for the infants. The milk doesn’t necessarily treat the baby but rather ensures his or her health, enhancing their immune system. If universal breast feeding occurred, children under the age of five could annually be saved in great numbers. Also, mothers could prevent developing breast cancer.

Sudden infant deaths could be reduced by one-third. Breastfeeding reduces stomach problems as well as the risk of respiratory infections. Other studies suggest it could even protect against diabetes and obesity.

On the other hand breastfeeding provides protection against breast cancer as well as against ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Therefore, replacing breast milk with other commercial substitutes could be one of the biggest mistakes made by new mothers, as they leave their child with no natural protection and immunity while they also put themselves at risk of developing different diseases.

On the other hand, there are many women who go back to work shortly after they become mothers, which makes it a lot more difficult for them to go on breastfeeding. Therefore, it is only natural that they switch to formula feeding.

Formula is not necessarily bad for your child. However, it doesn’t provide the same protective immunity breast milk can. Moreover, breastfeeding can also mean money saving, as commercial alternatives can be expensive and since you’ll be needing lots of them, you will also spend a lot of money.

Breastfeeding is after all a mother’s choice. It is indeed very helpful for both the baby and the mother, increasing their chances of being healthy for a longer time. However, working mothers cannot breastfeed so they have to replace breast milk with something else.

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Three Children Saved By 3D Printing

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The lives of three babies were saved after they were treated of a life-threatening disease by a 3D printed windpipe splints which helps them to breathe, a report reveals. The illness causes their windpipes to fail and can stop air from getting inside thir bodies.

Unlike most 3D implants, the device has been adapted for each patient. The gadgets were produced from a material that modified its shape as the children grew older, according to a study published in Science Transnational Medicine.

As the study focused on very few children, it does not show that it will be 100% efficient in every case. However, the research reveals the splints could be an option for a disease that has no cure, scientists from CS Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan said. One in 2,000 children suffer from tracheobronchomalacia – a weakening and collapse of the trachea, or windpipe, which usually allows air into the lungs.

Children with the most serious form have very small chances of surviving, even though they reach the age of 3, when their windpipes can be strong enough to allow them to breathe normally. Kaiba Gionfriddo endured the procedure when he was only 3 months old. He needed intensive care because his body was in critical condition and it was not receiving enough oxygen.

Experts requested emergency approval to use the gadget as a last resort in his case. Senior author Dr. Glenn Green, associate professor of pediatric otolaryngology at C.S. Mott, explained it was a ground-breaking case.

Kaiba is now an active, healthy three-year old, researchers said. Now, the splint shows signs of dissolving away as planned. Doctors mentioned that his windpipe seems to be strong enough for him to breathe independently. April Gionfriddo, Kaiba’s mom, said, “The first time he was hospitalized, doctors told us he may not make it out. It was scary knowing he was the first child to ever have this procedure, but it was our only choice and it saved his life”.

The scientists have now performed the surgery on two other children, and they are both responding well to the treatment, although one still relies on a machine to help his breathing, after certain problems the splint could not be resolved. “The problem represents some formidable difficulties. You have to construct something that can cope with growth and coughing and sneezing. And they seem to have done this – it is very exciting,” said professor Green.

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