GB2268679A

GB2268679A - Infant cot restraint

Info

Publication number: GB2268679A
Application number: GB9314879A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Harris; Hilda Florence Harris
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-07-17
Filing date: 1993-07-19
Publication date: 1994-01-19
Also published as: GB9314879D0

Abstract

A base strip 20 has adjustable straps 50, 60 at each end for attachment to opposite sides of a cot and includes stretch webbing 28, 29. A waist band 10 is attached by stitching 40 to the strip 20 to be secured around the waist of an infant to prevent it from rolling onto its front when strapped in the cot. The straps 50, 60 may be removed to enable the base strip 20 to be attached around a mattress instead. <IMAGE>

Description

INFANT COT RESTRAINT TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for restraining movement of an infant in a cot.

BACKGROUND Infant cot deaths are, unfortunately, quite a common occurrence, about 90% of cot deaths happening between the ages of 2 and 6 months. The reason for these deaths has not yet been fully explained, but it is likely that a significant proportion are simply due to the infant suffocating face < lown in its bedding.

For this reason, experts currently recommend that infants are placed on their backs in the cot. Even when this precaution is taken the infant quickly gains sufficient strength to turn over onto its face, but there appears to be a period where the infant is still unable to prevent itself from suffocating.

An aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to remove one of the possible causes of cot death, without causing distress to the infant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes an infant restraint device for use in a cot or the like, comprising an elongate portion provided with releasable fastening means at opposite ends for forming a waist band around the waist of an infant, and a pair of flexible stay elements secured to the waist band and arranged, in use, to extend in opposite directions from the waist band to opposite sides of the cot.

The device can be used from birth up to at least 18 months, and provided the baby is placed in the device from an early stage it will not suffer any distress.

The stay elements are preferably secured to mutually adjacent areas of the waist band. This arrangement has the advantage that the covers will be able to lie closely against the under-bedding without being held off by the flexible elements. For ease in securing the waist band around an infant the stay elements are preferably secured part-way between the ends of the waist band.

This allows the baby to be quickly and easily placed into and removed from the device with the flexible elements still secured to the cot.

In order to allow the waist band to be used over a large range of sizes the stay elements are preferably secured off-centre between the ends of the waist band, preferably between 2cm and 8cm off-centre.

It has been found that the width of the waist band is important. In order to reduce the risk of an infant overheating the waist band is preferably less than 13cm wide. On the other hand, to avoid the risk of the waist band causing possible injury to the infant it is preferably more than 50cm wide.

The waist band is preferably less than 65cm long and can preferably be adjusted from 30cm to 50 cm in circumference, at least, so that the device can be used throughout the stated age range.

The releasable fastening means may comprise buttons, buckles or press studs for example, although pads of hook and loop fastening material are preferred.

For safety reasons, the length of the stay elements should be restricted. In order to reduce the length of the stay elements which would be required for use with a full size cot mattress the stay elements are preferably provided with means of attachment to opposite sides of the cot. Furthermore, in order to allow the device to be used with most cot mattresses the combined length of the stay elements can preferably be adjusted between the said means of attachment, preferably by at least 20 cm.

For use with pram or carry cot mattresses the stay elements are preferably provided with means of mutual attachment beneath a cot mattress. In this case, in order to cover most sizes of pram or carry cot mattress, one or both of the stay elements preferably comprise resiliently stretchable portions.

These can preferably be stretched sufficiently to permit the combined length of the stay elements to be varied by at least 10cm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice.

The drawing shows one possible form of restraint device of the invention, drawn partially exploded for convenience.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The restraint device is intended to be used with infants from birth up to about 18 months, and comprises a waist band 10 and a second band 20 forming flexible stay elements 22 and 23.

The waist band 10 is about 100mm wide by about 60cm long, and is hemmed around its edges at 11. A 20cm long pad 12 carrying a multiplicity of hooks is sown or otherwise secured to the rear of the waist band 10 at one end, and a complementary pad 14 of the same length having a multiplicity of loops is similarly secured to the front face of the waist band.

The base strip 20 is about 60cm long by about 12cm wide, and is again hemmed around its edges at 21. The two end portions 24 and 25 are tapered for about 15cm to meet respective 5cm long lengths of elastic webbing 28 and 29, which in turn end in complementary mutually engageable and releasable plastics snap-fasteners 32 and 33. By stretching the elastic webbing, the distance between the fasteners 32 and 33 can be increased by up to 10cm, at least.

The bands 10 and 20 are formed of fire-proofed cotton or other fabric, and although they may be padded (quilted) they are preferably in the form of a non-padded single layer to reduce the risk of overheating the infant.

The rear face of the waist band 10 is superimposed on the base strip 20, and the two bands are secured together by a common area of stitching 40 positioned about half way along the base strip 20. However, the stitching 40 is positioned about 5cm off-centre along the length of the waist band 10, towards the loop pad 14.

An extension strap 50, 60 is provided at each end of the base strip 20, each having a complementary fastener 52, 63 which can be releasably engaged with the fasteners 32 and 33. One end of each strap is looped through the fastener 52, 63 and back-secured by a slider 54, 64. Hence, the length of the extension straps can each be adjusted by about 12.5cm. The opposite end of each extension strap is formed into a loop 56, 66 so that the straps can be fed around any convenient members at opposite sides of the cot, e.g. the vertical rails, and passed back through the loop to secure the strap to the bar.

The base strip 20 is then laid on the cot under-bedding and the infant is placed on its back upon the waist band 10 which is fastened firmly around the baby by means of the hook and loop pads 12 and 14. The infant is therefore unable to turn over onto its face due the restraining stays 22 and 23 formed by the base strip 20.

The off-centre attachment of the waist band 10 to the base strip 20 allows the waist band to be used over a wide range of sizes from newborn infants of around 30cm in circumference or less, to 18 month old infants of around 50cm circumference.

The lengths of the straps 50 and 60 can be adjusted to suit different sizes of cot whilst the elastic webbing 28 and 29 allows the base strip to be kept slightly under tension. When it is desired to use the device with a pram or carry cot mattress the fasteners 52, 32 and 63, 33 are released so that the base band 20 can be wrapped around the mattress and secured in a loop by means of the fasteners 32 and 33. The elastic webbing 28, 29 provides sufficient variation in length to fit most sizes of pram or carry cot mattress.

Claims

1. An infant restraint device for use in a cot or the like, comprising an elongate portion provided with releasable fastening means at opposite ends for forming a waist band around the waist of an infant, and a pair of flexible stay elements secured to the waist band and arranged, in use, to extend in opposite directions from the waist band to opposite sides of the cot.

2. A restraint device according to Claim 1, in which the stay elements are secured to mutually adjacent areas of the waist band.

3. A restraint device according to Claim 2, in which the stay elements are secured part-way between the ends of the waist band.

4. A restraint device according to Claim 3, in which the stay elements are secured off-centre between the ends of the waist band.

5. A restraint device according to Claim 4, in which the stay elements are secured between 2cm and 8cm off-centre between the ends of the waist band.

6. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the waist band is less than 13cm wide.

7. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the waist band is more than 50cm wide.

8. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the waist band is less than 65cm long.

9. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the waist band can be adjusted from 30cm to 50 cm in circumference, at least.

10. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the releasable fastening means comprises pads of hook and loop fastening material.

11. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the stay elements are provided with means of attachment to opposite sides of the cot.

12. A restraint device according to Claim 11, in which the combined length of the stay elements can be adjusted between the said means of attachment.

13. A restraint device according to Claim 12, in which the combined length of the stay elements can be adjusted by at least 20 cm.

14. A restraint device according to any preceding claim, in which the stay elements are provided with means of mutual attachment beneath a cot mattress.

15. A restraint device according to Claim 14, in which one or both of the stay elements comprise resiliently stretchable portions.

16. A restraint device according to Claim 15, in which said resiliently stretchable portions can be stretched sufficiently to permit the combined length of the stay elements to be varied by at least 10cm.

17. An infant restraint device for use in a cot or the like, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.