Baby hammock with Cayuquito stand

The Baby Hammock, a Method Used in Medical Settings

Premature babies are children born before the normal term of pregnancy. They therefore require special care for their survival and development. The neonatal unit of the UTI clinic in Niterio (Rio de Janeiro) is a medical facility specialized in the care of premature babies. It uses a particular method to help babies recover more quickly: the baby hammock.

The hammock is excellent for babies, and numerous medical studies prove it. We recommend reading the article on our blog: "The Baby Hammock, Just Like in Mom’s Womb!". This hammock is also ideal for anxious, restless babies and those suffering from acid reflux. A piece of sound advice: never leave your child unattended.

The Baby Hammock, What Is It?

The baby hammock is a small canvas hammock installed inside an incubator. This method was developed to help premature babies feel as if they were in their mother’s uterus. Indeed, the position they take in the hammock resembles their position in the uterus, which can speed up their recovery.

The baby hammock is used for very premature babies who require special care. In this small fabric hammock, babies reduce their respiratory and heart rates, expend less energy, and recover more quickly. The director of Cesar Santos Dias Hospital explained that the hammock reproduces, in a way, the environment the baby had in the mother’s uterus. Thus, the hammock keeps the baby warm and closer to the mother while relieving the pressure caused by all the surrounding technological devices.

How Is the Baby Hammock Used?

Premature babies admitted to the neonatal unit of the UTI clinic in Niterio are placed in incubators equipped with baby hammocks. The babies undergo daily physiotherapy exercises to stimulate breathing and neuro-motor development. They are also rocked in their hammocks to soothe them and help them recover more quickly.

Despite the lack of studies proving the method’s effectiveness, Dr. Adalto Barbosa from the Neonatology Department of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics sees advantages in its use. According to him, it allows the baby to lose less heat and absorb more nutrients, which helps increase the baby’s weight.

Debora Silva Luz, a mother whose baby is hospitalized in the neonatal unit of the UTI clinic in Niterio, testifies: “In the hammock, he is calmer and less disturbed by all the equipment. There have even been times when he started to cry. I rocked him in his hammock, and he calmed down immediately.”