SIDS Caused by Swaddling?

There is a new study out that says that swaddling a baby puts them at a higher risk for SIDS.  I will give the article the benefit of saying that it says you're at a higher risk if you swaddle them and put them on their side or stomach (though I'm not sure who thinks swaddling a babies arms to their sides and then putting them on their stomach is a good idea).   I have 2 issues with this....

1-  Parents have been swaddling since the beginning of time.  Like LITERALLY since the beginning of time.  The idea that swaddling increases the risk of SIDS seems absurd to me.  Perhaps if an infant is swaddled incorrectly and the blankets are too close to their face, it would make sense.  Perhaps if you're dumb enough to swaddle them and then lay them on a sofa sideways.  Now here's the thing....those two things put a baby at a higher risk of SIDS anyway (blankets in/near their face or being laid too close to any furniture where they are breathing back in their own CO2).  Pediatricians recommend swaddling, hospital nurseries swaddle, we swaddle because it helps a baby to sleep and calm down.  It helps them to feel safe.

2- Stop with the "studies" already.  Holy crap!  Parents have enough to get anxious about.  Can we stop giving them more paranoia?  It's one thing to do a study on something that has been researched for decades.  It's another thing to do your study and assume that something that has been a tried and true proven method to relax a baby for centuries is now something that causes death.  There is always going to be a study that can "prove" your argument.  One scientist says it's bad and another says it's good.  One says not to do something and another says to do it three times weekly.  It's absolutely ridiculous.  Stop giving parents, especially new parents, more reasons to worry.  They have enough on their plate.

Perhaps my frustration is aimed at how much we overwhelm parents now.  We pile so many expectations on them. Kids are expected to talk earlier, walk earlier, learn to read earlier.  We expect for these parents to be able to maintain their sense of self but still raise these little phenoms.  We get mad when kids don't know how to read before kindergarten but realistically, maybe they're just not ready.  We worry when a baby isn't walking by a year old but we forget that for centuries, babies walked when they were ready and, guess what....we got Olympic athletes, incredible body builders and people that were perfectly physically apt without worrying about if they were crawling, walking or riding a bike on some cookie cutter time line.  Can we, please, stop creating even more to worry about for the new parent...or even the experienced one?

I'm always an advocate for making sure you educate yourself and make your own decision. However, what I will say is to just think it through and don't get yourself too worried.  One of the best pieces of advice you'll ever hear is to listen to your heart; you already know how to be a parent.