AU719438B2

AU719438B2 - Infant sleep wrap

Info

Publication number: AU719438B2
Application number: AU36814/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Miriam Petronella Van Gisbergen-Rutherford
Original assignee: MIRIAM PETRONELLA VAN GISBERGE
Current assignee: MIRIAM PETRONELLA VAN GISBERGE
Priority date: 1992-03-10
Filing date: 1997-09-04
Publication date: 2000-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-10
Also published as: WO1993017606A1; AU3681497A

Description

'7 -1I-

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 DIVISIONAL APPLICATION 9* U U U. U NAME OF APPLICANT(S): ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: I aLv. i( IN'~VENTION TITLE: MIRIAM PETRONELLA VAN GISBERGEN-

RUTHERFORD

tle Col tr REG -A4PJhou e---300 22.a 0 "Infant Sleep Wrap" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: Q:\OPER\RSH\36508-93.D1V 4/9/97 -la- "INFANT SLEEP WRAP" BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an infant sleep wrap for maintaining a desired position, of an infant in a bed or cot for the comfort, security and health care of children and in particular for babies and infants.

The use of articles or means to safely secure and maintain a desired position, of children such as babies and infants in their beds or cots for sleeping while unattended is desirable. In particular, a high quality of sleep is important to both the infant and the caregiver, since there are strong links between infant sleep deprivation and child abuse. Also, there is a strong link between infant sleep deprivation, or poor quality sleep and infant injury statistics. If the infant does not 15 sleep well, or if the infant moves substantially and is restless during sleep then there is a risk that the infant may fall from the bed or cot or otherwise injure itself. For ~.example, infants have been known to suffocate from having their faces caught under bumper pads at the sides of cots, or even from lying face down in the prone position on various bedding. Falls are also very common among infants. For example, in 1989 in New Zealand almost 40% of hospital admissions arising from injuries from falls in the 0-2 year old range were accounted for by cot, bed or bunk falls.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Methods and articles presently used are improvised and untested, and as a result not proven to be entirely effective or safe for the subject. This is clearly disadvantageous.

Wraps or other devices which people presently use are often in the form of an article which is worn by the infant and may comprise, for example, a jacket or an article having shoulder straps and a zip. These articles are unduly restrictive, preventing any natural movement, especially natural sleep movement, of the infant.

Articles are also known which comprise a strip of material which attaches around the mattress or base of the bed or cot by ties or tapes and also attaches -2about a part of the trunk of the child. In these articles, the strip of material is usually very narrow as compared with the length of the trunk of the infant and this can cause a number of problems. The narrow strip could cause localised pressure and obstruction, particularly as a child could rotate and create a tighter knot in the strip while the child is being restrained. The narrowness of the strip is also dangerous as it could restrict circulation or even cause strangulation or cause arms and legs to become caught underneath the strip of material. Any of these physical problems could cause distress for a child and could result in a fatality.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an infant SLEEP wrap which will obviate or minimise the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner, or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an infant sleep wrap for controlling the position of an infant relative to a mattress of a bed or cot, comprising: a securing band which is sufficiently long to encircle the infant's chest and/or abdomen and of sufficient width throughout the encirclement to extend at least between the lateral chest and the abdomen of the infant; fastening means for fastening the securing band about the infant; a base member coupled to the securing band for laying on the surface of the mattress and extending widthwise beyond the width of the securing band and lengthwise, beyond the extent of the securing band in its fastened position; an attachment means for attaching said base member to the mattress; wherein the securing band is coupled to the base member within a zone extending lengthwise across the width of the securing band, the width of the zone being narrow compared to the width of the securing band, the coupling being such that the securing band is in direct contact with the base member across substantially the width -of the securing band and is free of the base member beyond the narrow zone.

44) -3- Figure 2 is a plan view of the infant sleep wrap of Figure 1 illustrating the preferred method of fastening the securing member; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the preferred use of the sleep wrap of the preceding figures on a mattress, ilustrating the fastened securing member around the trunk or torso of an infant lying on the base member substantially attached to said mattress; and Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the securing member showing its attachment to the base member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to figure 1 the drawings, an infant sleep wrap and sleeping aid for maintaining a desired position, or range of positions of a child is shown. The wrap has a base member 3 with attachment means 7 to attach base member 3 to a base of a bed or cot or a mattress 9 (figure 3) for example, or the like in use. A securing member 1 is affixed to base member 3 by stitching 2 for example, and fastening means 6 are provided at one or both ends of the securing member 1 to enable securing member 1 to be secured at ends 5 to or about an infant or child 8.

Securing member 1 is of suitable dimension and the fastening means 6 are adjustable to be capable in use of firmly holding varying sizes of infant 8 when :20 securing member 1 is secured to or about infant 8 and fastened together at ends by the fastening means 6. In the preferred embodiment the fastening means 6 comprise engageable pads or strips of material such as that sold under the trade mark VELCRO. Th~us one of the pads or strips connected to one of the ends 5 of the member 1 is constructed of a fibrous material and the other pad or strip at the other end of the member 1 has a plurality of flexible resilient hooks which engage with the fibrous material when the pads or strips are pressed together. A suitable force applied to pull the pads or strips directly away from one another separates them. The engageable pads are sufficiently large so that the fastening means are adjustable to allow the securing member to be fastened about the chests and/or abdomens of infants of different sizes. The adjustment also allows the firmness of the fit of the securing member about the infant's abdomen to be adjusted. Other fastening means, such as a safety pin could be used, but it has been found that -4- VELCRO is a more desirable material for the important reason that infants who are older or more physiologically developed can undo the VELCRO fasteners themselves when they awake, if the need arises.

Securing member 1 when secured to or about the infant 8 and fastened by fastening means 6 will prevent the infant 8 manoeuvring itself out of fastened securing member 1.

Base member 3 is attachable to mattress 9 or the like in such a manner that in use the bed wrap as illustrated in figure 3 resists attempts by infant 8 to roll or move in any direction to cause base member 3 to loosen or detach from mattress 9 or the like.

Securing member 1 and base member 3 are made from a flexible, strong and washable material such as polycotton. The attachment means 7 also comprise VELCRO strips and pads and are provided at ends 16 of base member 3 and, the base member is sufficiently long to wrap around the base or mattress 9 so that the 15 ends 16 can be affixed to each other. The attachment means 7 are sufficiently large to provide adjustment so that the base member 3 can be fastened about bed or cot bases or mattresses of varying sizes. The attachment means 7 could alternatively comprise tapes for example or material capable of being tied so as to tie ends 16 together about the base or mattress 9:' 20 Base member 3 incorporates an area 13 within physical reach of infant 8 which may for example contain attached articles or means (not shown) for entertaining or occupying infant 8.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) of the invention base member 3 is of suitable dimension suitable to cover mattress 9 and to fit on and around corners 10 of mattress 9 or the like.

Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3, the preferred method of use of the invention is described below. The bed or cot base or mattress 9 is removed or lifted and the base member 3 is placed around the mattress 9 and the VELCRO attachment means 7 are fastened to each other by pressing them together on the underside of the mattress so that the base 3 is securely attached to the mattress 9. An infant 8 is laid in desired orientation on securing member 1 preferably substantially over the stitching 2 which affixes the member 1 to base 3. T'he ends 5 of securing member 1 are then pulled about the abdomen of the infant 8 as shown by arrows 18 (figure 2) and fastened together by VELCRO fastening means 6 to hold infant 8 securely in the desired orientation as shown in figure 3.

As long as the caregiver who places the infant in the wrap does not draw the ends 5 of the securing member 1 about the infant's abdomen too tightly, the infant will be comfortably located without being unnecessarily restrained during sleep.

For infants in certain age groups there is a high risk of sudden infant death ~~15 syndrome (SEDS) and it is desirable that these infants be maintained in a supine sleep position or a side position since these positions have been found to substantially reduce the chances of SIDS occurring. The present invention assists in positioning infants in a supine sleep position or a side position.

With older or more physiologically advanced infants, for example those approaching 2 years old, the present invention allows the infant to roll. onto its side or into some other comfortable sleep position without allowing the infant to fall off the cot or bunk and so injure itself. The fastening means 6 which comprise VELCRO fasteners provide the advantage that older or more physiologically advaced infants can undo the fasteners if they wish when they awake to allow themselves greater freedom of movement if this is necessary.

The dimensions of the wrap are very important, since if the width of the securing member 1 is too narrow then localised pressure may be created across the thorax or abdomen of the infant which can result in discomfort for the infant and may lead to a potentially fatal situation in which the infant could possibly be strangled by a narrow securing member. It is also important that the securing member is not too wide so that the infant does not have restricted head, arm and leg movement. Therefore, it is important that the width of the securing member 1 is -6chosen so that with young or small infants, the width of securing member is sufficient to extend over that part of the trunk of the infant substantially between the armpits and the pelvis. Also, the securing member 1 must be designed to be sufficiently wide so that it extends substantially between the lateral chest and the lower abdomen of an older or larger infant. Therefore, the securing member of the present invenition is at least 18cm. to 20cm wide which we have found to be the optimum sizes for safe and comfortable positioning of infants as outlined above. Furthermore, the base member 3 is approximately 35cm to 50cm wide and fits flat across the mattress 9 so that there is no risk of the child getting its head or limbs caught under the edges of the base member.

Referring to Figure 4, the stitching 2 of Figures 1 and 2 is shown in more detail.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the stitching comprises at least one line and preferably two lines of stitching at two separate locations 20 and 22, ::15 extending substantially across the width of the securing member 1. A further line of stitching 24 is provided between the locations 20 and 22. Also, for added strength further lines of stitching 26 are provided parallel to the sides of the securing member 1. In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, it has been found in use that the general square of stitching comprising regions 20, 22 and 26 provides a flat base which prevents the securing member from clinging or having too great a swaddling effect.

Thus with the arrangement shown in figure 4, the infant located in the securing member may roll through approximately 1800 or further. That is, the infant is able to roll from a supine sleep position for example to a prone sleep position if the infant is physiologically capable of doing so and desires to do so, but the infant will be maintained in a central position on the mattress 9.

Referring to Figure 5, it will be seen that stitching 2 only comprises the single narrow line of stitching 24 to hold the securing member 1 onto the base member 3.

It has been found that the narrow line of stitching 24 in use creates a greater swaddling effect when the securing member 1 is fastened about an infant. This substantially prevents the infant from rotating through 180*, but is usually sufficient to allow an infant to roll from a supine sleep position for example into a position in which the infant is sleeping on its side. In use, the wrap is preferably provided as -7shown in Figure 4, but the additional stitching 20, 22 and 26 (Figure 4) can be unpicked to leave the single line 24 if desired. It is important that the stitching 24 or 20 and 22 in Figures 4 and 5 extends substantially across the width of the securing member 1 so that a child cannot rotate in a plane of movement parallel to the bed base or mattress 9 and thus tighten the securing member 1 about itself to cause an area of localised pressure. It will be seen that any fastening between the securing member 1 and the base member 3 would have the effect described, above with reference to figure 5 provided that the fastening between the members was provided substantially across the width of the securing member, or at least at the edges of the securing member and was narrow relative to the width of the securing member., From the foregoing it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention there is provided an infant sleep wrap which will substantially maintain a desired position or range of positions of the infant at least during sleep in security and safety with freedom of movement and without unnecessarily restraining the child.

It has the potential to be of use in promoting safe sleeping positions in young babies and restful sleep in older children. Thus the position of the child is controlled but is not restrained in a way which would place unobserved babies and children at risk and prevents unnecessary injuries as a result of children falling from their beds, bunks or cots.

*o

Claims

1. An infant sleep wrap for controlling the position of an infant relative to a mattress of a bed or cot, comprising: a securing band which is sufficiently long to encircle the infant's chest and/or abdomen and of sufficient width throughout the encirclement to extend at least between the lateral chest and the abdomen of the infant; fastening means for fastening the securing band about the infant; a base member coupled to the securing band for laying on the surface of the mattress and extending widthwise beyond the width of the securing band and lengthwise, beyond the extent of the securing band in its fastened position; an attachment means for attaching said base member to the mattress; wherein the securing band is coupled to the base member within a zone extending lengthwise across the width of the securing band, the width of the zone being narrow compared to the width of the securing band, the coupling being such that the securing band is in direct contact with the base member across substantially the width of the securing band and is free of the base member beyond the narrow zone.

2. The infant sleep wrap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the securing band is attached to the base member along two spaced lines extending along the length of the zone.

3. The infant sleep wrap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the securing band is attached to the base member along a single line extending along the length of the zone.

4. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing band is coupled to the base member by stitching. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing band is disposed centrally of the width of the base member.

6. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing band is sufficiently wide to extend the length of a part of the infant's trunk between the armpits and the lower abdomen or pelvis. z7, The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the faste ing means are adjustable. kTK- 0 5 i./ -9-

8. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment means are adjustable.

9. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fastening means comprise engageable pads or strips, at least one said pad or strip being located on each end of the securing band, the pad or strip at one end of the securing band comprising a fibrous material, and the pad or strip of material on the other end of the securing band comprising a plurality of flexible resilient hooks, said hooks being engageable with said fibrous material. The sleep wrap as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment means comprise engageable pads or strips, at least one said pad or strip being located on each end of the base member, the pad or strip at one end of the base member comprising a fibrous material, and the pad or strip of material on the other end of the base member comprising a plurality of flexible resilient hooks, said hooks being engageable with said fibrous material.

11. An infant sleep wrap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.