Lillian M. Beard, M.D, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is an associate clinical professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. She is a frequent guest expert and spokesperson on national television programs, discussing issues related to children's health. Dr. Beard practices pediatrics in Washington, D.C.

Q: Is it important for my newborn to be swaddled?

A: Swaddling is a time-honored, age-old tradition of comforting babies by wrapping them in a lightweight blanket or cradling a child in your arms, and is even referenced in the Bible. In most hospital nurseries, newborns are securely wrapped in receiving blankets to help keep them warm. But just as importantly, swaddling serves as a calming measure because it mimics the physical closeness of limited surroundings a baby experiences in the womb.

Forms of swaddling can continue to provide warmth and security until toddlerhood, where your little one might enjoy being tucked in to his blankets each night before going to sleep. Other children -- even from infancy -- don't enjoy being restrained by a blanket or arms, which is perfectly fine, too.