Stop Swinging Newborn Babies: Reason Why

By Deb Haines

STOP SWINGING NEWBORNS !

Throughout the Facebook groups old school veterinary techniques are passed around and not always correct and land in the wrong hands in which harm or death occurs to the newborns in many cases. in time comes studies and we all learn from our mistakes and then pass new studies/information on to help better educate animal owners.

Do NOT Swing Neonates By Phil Zeltzman, DVM, Dipl. ACVS of veterinary practice news.

Swinging neonates is a technique that many of us do—doctors and technicians. Why? Probably because we’ve learned from someone, who undoubtedly learned it from somebody else. Yet the technique has been linked to neonatal death—immediate or delayed—from a subdural hematoma or cerebral hemorrhage.

And then there’s the ultimate taboo only a few colleagues have shared in confidence: dropping a (slippery) neonate, leading to instant death.

Swinging neonates is no longer considered state-of-the-art. Think of this practice as the veterinary equivalent of the dreaded “shaken baby syndrome.”

Another possible concern of swinging is that gastric content could be forced into the pharynx because of the force of the maneuver. In turn, this could lead to aspiration.