THE HISTORY OF SWADDLING
Swaddling babies is a practice that dates back thousands of years. People from all over the world have wrapped their babies tightly in blankets or cloth to help them feel safe and sleep better.
The earliest evidence of swaddling dates back around 5000 years. In ancient Greece and Rome, babies were wrapped tightly with strips of cloth. Parents believed this would help their babies’ limbs grow straight and strong. Babies were often swaddled for the first six to nine months.
Swaddling remained popular across Europe during the Middle Ages (500-1500 CE). Babies were wrapped with long bands of cloth that kept their arms and legs completely straight. People thought this would prevent babies from developing physical deformities. Sometimes, swaddled babies were hung on hooks on the wall to keep them safe from animals while parents worked!
Votive offerings depicting swaddled babies from Agia Triada (Crete), Bronze Age, 2600-2000 BC., Heraklion (Iraklion), Crete. Archeological museum Iraklion
The Cholmondeley Ladies. Between 1599 and 1603.
In the 1700s, some doctors questioned whether tight swaddling was healthy. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a famous philosopher, argued that babies needed freedom to move and develop naturally. His ideas slowly changed how people thought about childcare. By the 1800s, loose clothing for babies became more common in many places.
Swaddling fell out of fashion in Western countries for most of the 1900s. However, in the 1990s, medical research showed that proper swaddling could help reduce crying and improve sleep in newborns. This led to a big comeback for swaddling.
Modern swaddling uses special designs, often with Velcro or zips, making swaddling much easier for new parents. Swaddling has evolved over thousands of years, but the goal remains the same: to help babies feel secure and comfortable.
