Swaddling, the art of snugly wrapping an infant in a garment for warmth and security, is a go-to for sleep-deprived parents the world over.

Baby expert upon sleep guru upon wise grandma will recommend it. It’s the first of the storied “5 S’s” in the “Happiest Baby” method, parenting guru Harvey Karp’s technique for calming newborns and coaxing them to sleep. In some circles, people pay dearly for big squares of muslin or flannel, or special swaddling devices.

In light of all this, parents were understandably alarmed by an analysis of sudden infant death syndrome risk for infants swaddled for sleep, published this week in the journal Pediatrics.

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