An infant's binder is a form of
corset for
infant
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used t ...
s. Infant's binders were introduced in the 19th century, after
swaddling
Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping infants in blankets or similar cloths so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted. Swaddling bands were often used to further restrict the infant. Swaddling fell out of favour in the 17th centu ...
had become unpopular, and were in several forms, shapes, and materials in use until well into the twentieth century. Some say the binder was used to obtain a proper posture, others see it as a preparation for later proper corset wearing, or as a way to diminish the baby's restlessness. By tightening the infant's binder the care giver could lower the yell and squall from the baby by crushing its airways. The Hawaiian Filipino has used this traditional practice, Latin and English cultures since the early 1800s.
Although there is a common belief that the use of baby belly binders can keep the abdomen warm thus reducing the risk of colic, there is no scientific evidence that this is true. Other reasons given for the use of the baby belly binder are to keep the diaper from rubbing against the umbilical stump, thereby reducing irritation, and protecting the umbilical stump from urination. Whether baby binders reduce the risk of umbilical infection has not been shown scientifically.
See also
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Infant clothing
Infant clothing or baby clothing is clothing made for infants. Baby fashion is a social-cultural consumerist practice that encodes in children's fashion the representation of many social features and depicts a system characterized by differences ...
References
Binder
Corsetry
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