An article published in Family Physicians Association Magazine of Rajkot

INTRODUCTION

Before birth a baby has remained in the warm, cozy atmosphere of the mother’s womb. There was no daylight or no temperature change. She has felt only the gentle rocking movement, while freely swimming in the amniotic fluid in a recumbent posture. After birth there is exposure to the harsh realities of world i.e. bright light, plenty of noises, cool atmosphere, a straight mattress to lie on and most important the lack of continuous swaying felt in the womb. A baby indeed needs to make a lot of adjustments to accustom itself into the new environment. Many activities like breast feeding, keeping the baby next to mother in close contact, gentle swaying while holding the baby in arms can provide a soothing effect to an anxious baby. A cradle is one such human invention used to console and comfort a crying baby and to induce sleep. It has been used since centuries though it has undergone many modifications over the years.

HOW CRADLE HELPS?

A mother always wonders how her baby used to sleep during her working hours. It was because of the rocking movement in the uterus that induced sleep to the baby. It was an ‘in utero’ cradle. Many mothers would have experienced a baby waking up and start kicking as soon as she lies down for rest. A cradle helps in many ways to calm down a baby.

1) An infant cannot go to sleep by itself. She needs some transition time to get drowsy. Any monotonous activity like light music, humming sound of machines, murmuring of persons, slow rocking movements can help a baby fall asleep. The cradle provides a continuous to and fro movement and induces a sleep.

2) Later on it becomes a conditioned reflex. Whenever the baby is tired and put in the cradle she starts learning to go to sleep.

3)  In the typical ‘Ghodias’the baby lies in a flexed posture which is liked by most babies as it was the posture in utero. Also the supine head up position reduces the chances of gastro esophageal reflux which is common in infants.

4) The cradle helps to isolate the baby from the nearby disturbances like movement of people around, noises and light to some extent.

5)  Researches have supported that the gentle rocking movement helps in increased brain circulation and hence better brain development. It also aids digestion.

6) Baby’s sleep alters in short phases of deep (non REM) and REM sleep. There may be involuntary movements of limbs in the REM phase wherein the baby may wake up in between the sleep. During such times rocking the cradle helps in inducing the sleep again.

LIMITATIONS

1) Putting the child in a cradle means depriving her the proximity of the mother. So it should not be used as an alternative to the mother’s lap. It is best used during daytime when the mother is busy and during the period of weaning from breast milk.

2) Trials have shown that the mature day and night pattern of sleep are established better in infants sleeping with the mother. This pattern is delayed in infants sleeping most of the time in the cradle.

3) During illness, incidents like fever, cyanosis, hypothermia, vomiting may be missed if the child is in the cradle. It is safer to keep the child next to mother during illness and if the baby is premature or of low weight.

SAFETY GUARDS

Always check the supports and hooks for the safety. Mattress should be soft but firm to prevent smothering. Every time while lying down the baby look for any insects, sharp objects or toys. The depth should be such that the baby cannot fall down even if she tries to rise up. Do not forget to remove the toys and mobiles tied to the rods when the baby learns to hold and pull and kick.

CONCLUSION    

In Gujarati there is a saying which means ‘the hands that rocks the cradle rules the world’. Cradles are our culture. It is the best way to imbibe values as it has been proved that the commands a baby receives during early sleep make a deep impact on the baby’s subconscious mind. The greatest example of this is the songs of bravery by Jeejabai who molded the mind of baby Shivaji to become a great warrior. To a baby it does not matter whether it is tied from a torn cloth or a silk fabric. Only thing that matters is the love and care of the person moving the cradle. A cradle cannot replace the mother but it is surely a baby’s best friend next to the mother.

PS: This article was written for FPA times, July 2009.

Dr. NEEMA SITAPARA

MD (Ped), PGDip. (Adolescent Pediatrics)