What are the risks of a non-physiological baby carrier?

Surely you have heard of physiological baby carriers in your search for the best baby carrier . What is the difference between a non-physiological or physiological baby carrier ? What are the risks for your baby if you use a non-physiological baby carrier ? Here are some questions that I will answer in this article.

What is a physiological baby carrier?

We speak of a physiological baby carrier when the position of the baby or child installed in the baby carrier is physiological.

An infant does not yet have the back and neck muscles developed enough to support the weight of his body and his head. He therefore cannot hold himself in a seated position anyhow. Particular attention must be paid to its position in the baby carrier so that there is no risk to its health and development.

EasyBaby - physiological baby carrier available on the June 22 store

We generally speak of your baby's physiological position when his back is rounded and his legs form an M (frog position). This position is in continuity with his life in utero.

Important note on physiological carrying

It is important to understand that physiological baby carrier does not necessarily mean physiological portage . Indeed, the correct installation of the baby in the baby carrier by his parents is very important.

For example, a wrap or a sling are physiological baby carriers, only if baby is installed in the right way.

Here are the conditions to fulfill to carry your child physiologically :

• The limbs are flexed and grouped towards the center of the body
• The knees are at the height of the navel
• The pelvis is tilted forward
• The lower back is round
• The position of the head is in the axis of the column
• The head is not tilted too much (you can pass 2 fingers under his chin)
• The ankles are in the same axis as his tibias and femurs
• Before 3-4 months, the distance between the knees is equal to the width of the pelvis
• After 3-4 months, the knee gap may be wider

How to recognize a non-physiological baby carrier?

Here are some examples of non-physiological baby carriers found in a few minutes on the internet. Find out how to know if a baby carrier is non-physiological :

• Beware of all-in-one baby carriers. If you can't find multifunctional baby carriers from well-established brands, there's a good reason!

• You can clearly see in the image below that the child's legs are dangling in the air. The seat is not wide and deep enough, baby is supported only by his crotch without being in the frog position.

• The majority of these baby carriers can be found on non-specialized sites (ebay, cdiscount, aliexpress, multi-product reseller, etc.)
• These 2 non-physiological baby carriers in example cost less than 30€. A very attractive price is often a sign of poor quality.

WARNING : It is not because there is written physiological baby carrier on the product sheet that it is necessarily!

Here is a concrete example with the first proposals on a Google search:

Product and brand names have been deliberately obscured.

These baby carriers appear first on Google with the search " physiological baby carrier ". It's written in the product name, but the first 3 aren't. You can also find them 2 to 3 times cheaper on a famous Chinese marketplace...

You now know what a physiological carrier is and how to recognize a non-physiological baby carrier .

You are probably wondering what the risks of non-physiological carrying are. That's good, we'll talk about it right away.

What are the risks of a non-physiological baby carrier?

As explained earlier, a baby does not have enough muscle to carry his weight. Its skeleton is not completely ossified, its joints and cartilages are very flexible and in the process of formation.

A non-physiological baby carrier will mainly have harmful impacts on your child's spine and hips. But its comfort is also to be taken into account.

Discomfort for your child

The first problem with a non-physiological baby carrier (but the least serious) is the discomfort for your child. He may cry, fuss and show signs of being unwell. These are signs that can alarm you, but your child can also give the impression of supporting this portage. In this case, in the long term, the risks and dangers of non-physiological carriage are more serious.

Spinal problems

During a non-physiological portage , the child is mainly supported by a single point of support, the genitals/the baby's crotch. He remains in an upright position and his back is not ready for it yet. All of your child's upper body weight rests on a few bones and vertebrae that are not yet solidified.

The risk on the spine of a non-physiological baby carrier is a delay or problems of development and a bad interlocking of the vertebrae.

Risk of hip dysplasia

You may have heard of hip dysplasia in preparation for childbirth. This is a risk for babies who most often present in a breech position. This dysplasia or DDH can also occur because of non-physiological carriage .

With a non-physiological baby carrier , the legs are unsupported and swing freely. This position prevents the hip joints from fitting together properly.

Drawing :

On the left, a portage physiological allows optimal fitting of the head of the femur in the pelvis.

On the right, a non-physiological portage with the legs hanging down. This prevents the head of the femur from fitting properly into the cavity of the pelvis.

Hip dysplasia is not painful in infants. But if the hip joint does not form properly, it results in difficulty in moving the hips normally. This can become awkward when the child begins to walk, and cause pain as it grows.

Where to be sure to buy a physiological baby carrier?

I can only recommend the most well-known brands that have a storefront. Avoid all-in-one "gadget" baby carriers and go to specialized manufacturers.

Physiological sling in organic cotton

At June-22, our baby carriers and slings are physiological. Discover the full range on our online store: https://www.june-22.com/