Baby swings are models that soothe, entertain, and interact with your baby while you get some work done in the house or around. The baby swings are quite useful if the baby can stay there for a shorter period because of its dangerous effects.
At least 50 babies die in a baby swing. Besides death, fluctuations may also lead to some miserable life conditions like brain damage, spine damage, and flattening of the baby’s head. All these adverse effects reveal how dangerous the baby swings are, even though they might be helpful.
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How Are Baby Swings Beneficial?
The baby swings are very beneficial to both parents. The benefits may seem luxurious because there is no biological influence on the baby’s body.
- The swing motion mimics the womb and helps the child adapt to the world at the early stages.
- Baby swings help in stimulating the baby your baby system and help them to fall asleep.
- You can be hands-free when the baby is on a swing, either awake or asleep. By this, you can carry out house chores, cook or rest from carrying the child.
- The baby feels entertained by swinging.
Dangerous Effects of Baby Swings
Baby swings having quite a several benefits, they cannot be rendered safe for a child. Besides, the adverse effects of fluctuations are very crucial in a child’s life. If not warned now, it can lead to a long-lasting condition. The following are some of the adverse effects of baby swings.
1. Deprivation of child development
Babies need their own time to spend and move around the available space and area. Keeping the baby in the swings every time restricts the babies’ movement and exploration of their surrounding space. The baby needs the surrounding space to crawl, roll around, and to walk. Hence the restrictions will lead to underdevelopment of the child.
2. Lack of enough sleep and risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
If, in any case, the baby sleeps in an inappropriate posture, they develop the risk of SIDS. Baby swings postures make it difficult for the baby to get enough air or oxygen when sleeping. Similarly, the baby may be waking up frequently at slight movements due to a lack of stability on the baby swings.
3. There is reduced safety.
A few unlucky kids may have increased chances of injury due to swing traps leading to suffocation. If the swing is also not up to the mark, it can break, leading to more baby injury.
4. Brain damage
Baby swinging is bad habits that lead to permanent brain damage to the baby. The acceleration and deceleration of swinging cause shearing and tearing effects between the white matter and the grey matter of the brain. Furthermore, depending on the speed of swing to the forth and back process, it is relatively able to cause infants’ brain damage.
5. The Shaken baby syndrome
The syndrome is a critical brain damage condition caused by swinging the baby. It is referred to as “abusive head trauma”. Babies have fragile blood vessels, weak brain, and soft neck muscles, which need careful handling of the baby. Shaking or swinging can stimulate brain impacts on the skull several times. Additionally, the trigger leads to brain bruising, bleeding, and swelling.
Other effects of swinging include bone braking, eye, spine, and neck damage. You can avoid the baby shaken syndrome by avoid swinging the baby with more speed, especially out of anger, and when the baby is crying.
Conclusion
The question “are baby swings dangerous” is a straight forward question with a “yes” answer. Professionals do not medically advise the baby swings because of its long term effect on the baby. You can either decide to be limiting the time the baby spends on the swings, give close supervision, or allow the baby to explore.
The dangerous effects of baby swings are almost impossible for reversal. Examples of reduced safety are causing injuries, “the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome” (SIDS), and “the Shaken Baby Syndrome”. When your child’s brain has bruises and internal bleeding, this can lead to death or long-lasting abnormal conditions of paralysis or cerebral palsy.
Finally, it is recommendable to allow the baby to move freely. It is enabling them to roll and crawl, improving their body development faster. It is better to have preventive measures in place when you avoid buying the expensive baby swings, which might cost you a lifetime disaster.