Health Tip: Swaddle Baby Safely

Swaddling your infant in a blanket can be soothing and help the child sleep more soundly. But it's important to swaddle safely.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these suggestions:

• Spread out a blanket flat, turning down one corner. Place baby's head on the folded-down corner.
• Straighten baby's left arm. Take the left corner of the blanket and wrap it across baby's body, tucking it underneath baby's right arm.
• Tuck baby's right arm down, then fold the right corner of the blanket across baby's body and tuck it under the left side.
• Loosely fold the end of the blanket underneath baby.
• Make sure the blanket isn't wrapped too tight and that baby can easily move the hips. Also make sure you can easily insert two or three fingers inside the blanket by baby's chest.