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Infant Sleep and CryingNCT07868380

Effects of Two Swaddling Techniques on Infant Sleep, Crying, and Maternal Comfort

A study testing Hip-Healthy Swaddling and Midline Flexion Swaddling in people with Infant Sleep and Crying, run by Izmir University of Economics at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how two different safe swaddling techniques affect sleep duration, crying duration, and maternal comfort in infants aged 1-4 months and their mothers. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 1 month to 4 months
Conditions the study is for
Infant Sleep and Crying
What is being tested?
Hip-Healthy Swaddling and Midline Flexion Swaddling
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
96 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
Oct 2026to Aug 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 1 month to 4 months
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Infants aged 1-4 months and their mothers.
  • Infants receiving outpatient care at the pediatric outpatient clinic.
  • Infants without anatomical, physiological, or developmental health conditions that would contraindicate swaddling, including developmental dysplasia of the hip, cardiopulmonary disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, or neurological disorders.
  • Infants who have not yet developed the ability to roll from the supine position to either side or to the prone position.
  • Mothers without a diagnosed physical or mental health condition severe enough to interfere with the daily care of their infant.
  • Mothers who provide written informed consent for participation.
  • Mothers who are able to speak and understand Turkish.

Who cannot join

  • Infants who, during the study, are diagnosed with a condition for which swaddling is contraindicated and who subsequently require pharmacological or physical treatment related to that condition.
  • Mothers who, during the study, begin pharmacological treatment with analgesic or sedative medications that may affect comfort.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Bahise Aydın, PhD contact

05555210896

bahise.aydin@ieu.edu.tr

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Izmir University of Economics Medical Point Hospital

    Cordaleo, İzmir, 35575

    Bahise Aydın, PhD, +905555210896, bahise.aydin@ieu.edu.tr

    Bahise Aydın, PhD

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: Effects of Two Different Swaddling Techniques on Sleep and Crying Duration in Infants Aged 1-4 Months and Maternal Comfort: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how two different safe swaddling techniques affect sleep duration, crying duration, and maternal comfort in infants aged 1-4 months and their mothers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Do hip-healthy swaddling and midline flexion swaddling affect infants' sleep duration compared with routine care without a study-assigned swaddling intervention?
  • Do hip-healthy swaddling and midline flexion swaddling affect infants' crying duration compared with routine care without a study-assigned swaddling intervention?
  • Do the two swaddling techniques affect mothers' comfort levels compared with routine care? Researchers will compare three groups: hip-healthy swaddling, midline flexion swaddling, and a control group receiving routine care without a study-assigned swaddling intervention. This will help determine whether the two swaddling techniques have different effects on infant sleep and crying duration and maternal comfort.
Read more

Mothers and infants participating in the study will:

  • Be randomly assigned to one of the three study groups.
  • Receive face-to-face training, an educational brochure, and an instructional video on the assigned swaddling technique if allocated to one of the two swaddling groups.
  • Follow the assigned swaddling technique as part of the infant's sleep routine for four weeks if allocated to a swaddling group.
  • Record the infant's sleep and crying durations daily for four weeks using a stopwatch and monitoring forms provided by the researchers.
  • Complete an assessment of maternal comfort at the beginning and end of the study.
  • Have the infant's body weight, length, and head circumference measured at the beginning and end of the study.
Read the detailed description

Swaddling is a commonly used infant care practice that may promote sleep and soothing when performed using safe techniques. However, inappropriate swaddling practices may restrict hip movement, contribute to overheating, or compromise safe sleep practices. Therefore, this study will compare two swaddling techniques designed to maintain infant safety while differing in positioning: hip-healthy swaddling and midline flexion swaddling.

This study is designed as a three-arm randomized controlled trial involving mothers and their infants aged 1-4 months attending the pediatric outpatient clinics of Izmir University of Economics Medical Point Hospital. A total of 96 mother-infant dyads are planned to be enrolled, with 32 dyads assigned to each group. Participants will be allocated to the hip-healthy swaddling group, midline flexion swaddling group, or control group using stratified block randomization according to infant age and sex.

In the hip-healthy swaddling group, mothers will be taught a swaddling technique that allows sufficient space for flexion and movement of the hips and knees while securely wrapping the upper body. In the midline flexion swaddling group, mothers will be taught a technique in which the infant's upper extremities are maintained close to the midline in a flexed position while the hips and knees remain flexed and sufficiently free to move. Both techniques will follow safe swaddling principles, including placing the infant supine, keeping the face and head uncovered, avoiding excessive tightness and overheating, and discontinuing swaddling when the infant shows signs of attempting to roll. The control group will continue routine infant care without a study-assigned swaddling intervention.

Mothers in both intervention groups will receive face-to-face instruction, an educational brochure, and an instructional video for the assigned technique. The intervention will be implemented for four weeks. Mothers will be contacted at least weekly during the intervention period to support adherence and safe implementation of the assigned technique.

Infant sleep and crying durations will be monitored daily throughout the four-week study period using standardized recording forms and stopwatches provided by the researchers. Maternal comfort will be evaluated using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Infant body weight, length, and head circumference will be measured at baseline and at the end of the four-week follow-up as secondary outcomes.

The primary comparison will evaluate differences among the three study groups in infant sleep duration, infant crying duration, and maternal comfort over the study period. Secondary analyses will evaluate changes in infant growth parameters.

Being tested
Hip-Healthy Swaddling, Midline Flexion Swaddling
Keywords
Swaddling, Infant Sleep, Infant Crying, Maternal Comfort, Infant Care, Hip-Healthy Swaddling, Midline Flexion Swaddling
Medical subject headings
Crying

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Hip-Healthy SwaddlingBehavioural

    Mothers assigned to this intervention will receive face-to-face training on hip-healthy swaddling, supported by an educational brochure and instructional video. The infant will be placed supine and the upper body will be securely wrapped, while sufficient space will be maintained around the hips and legs to allow hip abduction and flexion, knee flexion, and free movement of the lower extremities. The swaddle will allow approximately two-finger space at the chest, and the infant's face and head will remain uncovered. Mothers will apply the technique as part of the infant's sleep routine for four weeks. Safe swaddling principles, including avoiding excessive tightness and overheating, will be followed.

  • Midline Flexion SwaddlingBehavioural

    Mothers assigned to this intervention will receive face-to-face training on midline flexion swaddling, supported by an educational brochure and instructional video. The infant will be placed supine, with the upper extremities maintained close to the midline in a flexed position. The hips and knees will remain flexed with sufficient space for free movement of the lower extremities. The swaddle will allow approximately two-finger space at the chest, and the infant's face and head will remain uncovered. Mothers will apply the technique as part of the infant's sleep routine for four weeks. Safe swaddling principles, including avoiding excessive tightness and overheating, will be followed.

Study groups in NCT07868380
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Hip-Healthy SwaddlingExperimentalMothers assigned to this group will receive face-to-face training on hip-healthy swaddling, supported by an educational brochure and instructional video. The technique securely wraps the infant's upper body while allowing sufficient space for the hips and knees to remain flexed and move freely. Mothers will use the assigned swaddling technique as part of the infant's sleep routine for four weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Hip-Healthy Swaddling
Midline Flexion SwaddlingExperimentalMothers assigned to this group will receive face-to-face training on midline flexion swaddling, supported by an educational brochure and instructional video. The technique maintains the infant's upper extremities close to the midline in a flexed position while allowing the hips and knees to remain flexed and sufficiently free to move. Mothers will use the assigned swaddling technique as part of the infant's sleep routine for four weeks.
Receives: Behavioral: Midline Flexion Swaddling
Routine Care ControlNo interventionMother-infant dyads assigned to the control group will continue their routine infant care practices and will not receive a study-assigned swaddling intervention during the four-week study period.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Infant Sleep Duration

    Infant sleep duration will be recorded daily by mothers using a standardized sleep monitoring form and a stopwatch provided by the researchers. Mothers will start the stopwatch when the infant falls asleep and stop it when the infant wakes. Sleep duration will be recorded in minutes for each sleep episode, and daily total sleep duration will be calculated. Daily sleep durations will be recorded throughout the four-week follow-up period and summarized for analysis.

    Measured: Daily for 4 weeks

  2. Infant Crying Duration

    Infant crying duration will be recorded daily by mothers using a standardized crying monitoring form and a stopwatch provided by the researchers. Mothers will start the stopwatch at the beginning of a crying episode and stop it when the crying episode ends. Crying duration will be recorded in minutes for each crying episode, and daily total crying duration will be calculated. Daily crying durations will be recorded throughout the four-week follow-up period and summarized for analysis.

    Measured: Daily for 4 weeks

  3. Maternal Comfort

    Maternal comfort will be assessed using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form. The scale consists of 28 items assessing relief, ease, and transcendence. After reverse coding negatively worded items, item scores are summed and divided by the number of items to obtain a mean score. Scores range from 1 to 6, with higher scores indicating a higher level of comfort.

    Measured: Baseline and at the end of week 4

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change in Infant Body Weight

    Infant body weight will be measured using the same calibrated infant scale by the same researcher at baseline and at the end of the four-week follow-up. Body weight will be recorded in grams. Change in body weight from baseline to week 4 will be evaluated.

    Measured: Baseline and at the end of week 4

  2. Change in Infant Length

    Infant length will be measured using the same infant length measurement equipment by the same researcher at baseline and at the end of the four-week follow-up. Length will be recorded in centimeters. Change in length from baseline to week 4 will be evaluated.

    Measured: Baseline and at the end of week 4

  3. Change in Infant Head Circumference

    Infant head circumference will be measured using the same non-stretchable measuring tape by the same researcher at baseline and at the end of the four-week follow-up. Head circumference will be recorded in centimeters. Change in head circumference from baseline to week 4 will be evaluated.

    Measured: Baseline and at the end of week 4

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Oct 2026
  2. Study startOct 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completionAug 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionAug 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Three-arm parallel randomized controlled trial with two intervention groups and one control group. Participants will be stratified by infant age (1-2 months and 3-4 months) and sex, followed by block randomization within each stratum.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
96 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07868380
Sponsor's protocol ID
IEU-SBEK-2026-124099
Other IDs
1919B012556799
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
5 Oct 2026
Last updated
13 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared because the approved study protocol and informed consent procedures do not include sharing participant-level data with researchers outside the study team. Study findings will be reported only in aggregate form to protect participant confidentiality and privacy.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Hip-Healthy Swaddling and Midline Flexion Swaddling in people with Infant Sleep and Crying, run by Izmir University of Economics at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Bahise Aydın, PhD (05555210896, bahise.aydin@ieu.edu.tr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Infant Sleep Duration (time frame: Daily for 4 weeks). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.

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