Swaddling blanket

Description of equivalent WO 2004014163 A2

I

Description SWADDLING BLANKET

Technical Field The present invention relates to garments for swaddling babies.

Background Art

The swaddling of babies has been practiced since antiquity by people around the world. Swaddling protects a baby from the surrounding environment, allows a baby to be handled and carried more easily, and has long been thought to comfort and quiet a baby.

This is especially true of babies suffering from colic, generally defined as those who cry at least three hours a day, three days a week, for at least three weeks in a row. Although no specific cause for colic has been identified and many potential remedies have been offered, research has shown that effective swaddling often has a calming effect on crying babies. Research also shows that a swaddled baby tends to be more willing to sleep on her back, which significantly reduces her vulnerability to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The key to effective swaddling appears to reside in a combination of factors. Loosely-swaddled babies tend to be more restless than snugly-swaddled babies, but excessively tight swaddling may inhibit breathing. A baby is comforted by having her arms held snugly against her midsection and by having even pressure applied around her torso. Limitations on leg movement help also, but complete immobilization of the legs may promote hip dysplasia. Pressure against the head may arouse a baby. Too thin a wrap may provide inadequate restraint, but too heavy a wrap may overheat the baby. It is thought that gentle, even pressure around a baby's torso and immobilization of her limbs may simulate the pre-birth environment. Additionally, or alternatively, immobilization of the limbs may keep a baby from startling herself awake by reflexively flailing her limbs in her sleep and striking nearby objects. Pressure against the head is thought to awaken a baby by stimulating the "rooting" response, where the baby reflexively seeks a nipple.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with the present invention, I provide a swaddling blanket including a back panel with a first side and a second side, a leg pouch disposed upon the back panel, a short blanket arm, operable to wrap over a baby, and a long blanket arm, operable to wrap entirely around the baby. The short blanket arm has a wide end and a narrow end. The wide end of the short blanket arm is integrated with the first side of the back panel to form a continuous sheet. The short blanket arm is tapered to cover only a first portion of the baby's body between the baby's ankles and the base of the baby's neck when wrapped over the baby. The long blanket also arm has a wide end and a narrow end. The wide end of the long blanket arm is integrated with the second side of the back panel to form a continuous sheet. The long blanket arm is tapered to cover only a second portion of the baby's body between the baby's ankles and the base of the baby's neck when wrapped around the baby. The second portion overlaps the first portion.

A baby swaddled with the present invention is placed on her back on the back panel, with her legs in the leg pouch and her shoulders just below the top edge of the back panel. Her arms are placed along her sides. The short blanket arm is wrapped over and across the baby and its tapered end is tucked under the armpit on the side of the long blanket arm. The long blanket arm is then wrapped snugly and repeatedly around the baby in the opposite direction until desired pressure is obtained. The taper of each blanket arm is such that when both blanket arms are wrapped around the baby, most of the blanket's bulk and pressure surround the baby's torso.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention additionally includes two arm restraints. Each arm restraint is a tapered flap attached to the back panel with a seam that is beneath and parallel to a baby's arms when she is laid on her back on the back panel. Each arm restraint is positioned so that it may be wrapped inward around the adjacent arm.

A baby swaddled with this preferred embodiment of the present invention is placed on her back on the back panel, with her legs in the leg pouch and her shoulders just below the top edge of the back panel. Her arms are placed along her sides. An arm restraint is wrapped around each arm from the outside of each arm, first passing over an arm, then inward to be tucked under the arm. The short blanket arm is wrapped over and across the baby and its tapered end is tucked under the armpit on the side of the long blanket arm. The long blanket arm is then wrapped snugly and repeatedly around the baby in the opposite direction.

When a baby is swaddled in the present invention manner, her legs are contained without being immobilized and she is comforted by having her arms and torso snugly wrapped. Nothing contacts her head to provoke a rooting response. The blanket material may be light, so that she does not overheat, or it may provide insulation for colder weather. A baby may be quickly and securely wrapped with the exact amount of pressure desired, without having the swaddling unravel when the baby moves.

All of these features and advantages of the present invention, and more, are illustrated below in the drawings and detailed description that follows.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2A shows the embodiment of Fig.1 with a baby whose legs are in the leg pouch.

Fig. 2B shows the embodiment of Fig.l with arm restraints wrapped around a baby's arms.

Fig. 2C shows the embodiment of Fig.l with a short blanket arm wrapped around a baby's torso and tucked beneath an armpit. Fig. 2D shows the embodiment of Fig.l with a long blanket arm wrapped repeatedly around a baby.

Fig. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention with an extended leg pouch and a hook-and-loop attachment patch.

Fig. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention with a leg pouch divided to accommodate a car seat strap.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

Fig.l shows an embodiment of the present invention having a back panel 100, a leg pouch 110, a first arm restraint 120, a second arm restraint 125, a short blanket arm 130, and a long blanket arm 135. In this embodiment the back panel 100 is approximately as long and wide as the combined torso and legs of a typical baby. The back panel 100 and other parts of the invention can be scaled to fit a person of any size. The parts of the present invention are made from sheet material, usually fabric. The present invention may be made of a single material or parts may be made of different materials. Flexible, non- fabric materials may also be used to provide special characteristics.

A short blanket arm 130 extends from a first side 102 of the back panel 100. The short blanket arm 130 tapers away from the back panel 100 to a first end point 133 and is long enough to wrap once over a baby with enough excess length to tuck into the baby's armpit. The long blanket arm 135 extends from a second side 104 of the back panel 100. The long blanket arm 135 tapers away from the back panel 100 to a second end point 138 and is long enough to wrap around the baby at least once, preferably at least twice.

The blanket arms 130, 135 may be separate pieces sewn, bonded, electrically welded, or attached by other means known in the art to sides 102, 104 of the back panel 100, or the blanket arms 130, 135 and the back panel 100 may be of a single, continuous piece of material. The positions of the blanket arms 130, 135 may be reversed in any embodiment of the present invention without impairing the utility of the invention.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the lower edge 131 of the short blanket arm 130 tapers at a more acute angle with respect to the back panel 100 than the upper edge 132 of the short blanket arm 130, so that the first end point 133 is horizontally aligned with the center of the baby's torso. Also, the lower edge 131 of the short blanket arm 130 may curve toward the interior of the arm, eliminating excess material that might bunch and place unwanted pressure on the leg pouch 110. The short blanket arm 130 therefore wraps smoothly and securely around the baby's torso without interfering with leg movement.

The upper edge 137 and the lower edge 136 of the long blanket arm 135 taper at approximately the same angle with respect to the back panel 100, so that the second end point 138 is horizontally aligned with the baby's navel. Therefore, when a baby is laid on her back upon the back panel 100 with the tops of her shoulders approximately even with the upper edge 106 of the back panel 100, a straight line between the first end point 133

^■ and the second end point 138 of the extended blanket arms 130, 135 would pass slightly above the baby's navel. In other embodiments of the present invention the upper and lower tapers of the blanket arms 130, 135 may be changed as necessary to effect desired pressure distributions. The leg pouch 110 is formed from a roughly rectangular piece of fabric that is sewn to the back panel 100 along a first edge 112, a second edge 114, and a bottom edge 118. The bottom edge 118 of the leg pouch 110 is sewn to the lower edge (not visible) of the back panel 100, leaving the top edge 116 of the leg pouch 110 open. Alternatively, the leg pouch 110 may be an extension of the lower edge of the back panel 100 folded upward and sewn along its vertical edges 112, 114. The vertical edges 112, 114 may also curve inward and outward to form an hourglass profile, allowing somewhat greater restriction of the baby's legs.

The arm restraints 120, 125 are in an alternate embodiment tapered flaps attached to the back panel 100 at seams 121, 126 that lie beneath and parallel to a baby's arms. Each arm restraint 120, 125 tapers to a lobe 122, 127 and is positioned so that it may be wrapped inward around a baby's adjacent arm. The downwardly-tapering lobes 122, 127 relieve pressure on the baby's shoulders while providing an easily-used means for securing her arms. The lobe shape minimizes fabric bunching and optimizes pressure distribution, but the arm restraints 120, 125 may also be triangular, rectangular, or any of a variety of other shapes as desired.

Figures 2A through 2D illustrate a preferred method for employing the present invention. Fig. 2A shows a baby lying on the back panel (not visible) with her shoulders aligned with the upper edge 106 of the back panel, her arms along her sides, and her legs in the leg pouch 110.

Fig. 2B shows how the arm restraints 120, 125 are each wrapped around the outside of an adjacent arm, then inwardly so that the arm restraint lobes 122, 127 can be tucked between the baby's arms and torso, thereby holding the baby's arms in an optimum position while subsequent steps are performed. Fig. 2C shows how the short blanket arm 130 is wrapped over and across the baby and secured by tucking the first end point 133 between the baby's torso and the proximate arm restraint 125 and armpit, securing both the top edge (not visible) of the leg pouch 110 and the baby.

Finally, Fig. 2D shows how the long blanket arm 135 is wrapped over the baby, then repeatedly around the baby until the second end point (not visible) is reached. Tension on the long blanket arm 135 is adjusted as arm is wrapped to obtain the desired pressure on the baby, with the taper of the long blanket arm 135 tending to concentrate increased pressure under the regions wrapped with the most layers. The second end point 138 may be secured by tucking it under a layer of the long blanket arm 135, or by a hook-and-loop or other fastener as is known in the art.

Fig. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention is which the top edge 316 of the leg pouch 310 arcs upward. The extra fabric allows the leg pouch 310 to be better secured by the short blanket arm 330. Fig. 3 also shows an optional hook-and- loop fastener 350 attached to the inner end of the long blanket arm 335 near the second end point 338.

Fig. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which the lower portion of the leg pouch 410 is divided into a right leg pouch 411 and a left leg pouch 413, with a gap 415 between to accommodate the buckle of a child's car seat. Fig. 4 also shows a variation on the blanket arm 430, 435 tapers, where the upper edges 432, 437 have very slight tapers and the lower edges 431, 436 have more pronounced tapers, shifting the end points 433, 438 and the corresponding area of maximum pressure upward. This and other variations may be combined with other feature variations described herein.

The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention disclosed herein should be interpreted as illustrating the present invention and not as restricting it. Numerous variations and changes can be made to the foregoing illustrative embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.