GB2496677A

GB2496677A - Baby cradling aids

Info

Publication number: GB2496677A
Application number: GB1120025.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sunil Tankaria
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-11-21
Filing date: 2011-11-21
Publication date: 2013-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2031-11-21
Also published as: GB2496677B; GB201120025D0

Abstract

A baby cradling aid 4 for assisting in the cradling of a baby (35, figure 3) comprises a strip of resiliently flexible material 10 for supporting the length of the spine of the baby, a first layer of padded material 5 on a first side of the strip for cushioning the baby from the strip, and a second layer of padded material 6 on a second side of the strip for cushioning a carer (30) of the baby from the strip. Preferably, the first and second layers are joined together around the periphery of the strip to form a pocket in which the strip is held. Most preferably the strip is removable from the pocket to enabling laundering of the cradling aid absent the strip. Left and right side straps 13, 14 may be provided extending from the padded layers. Left and right hood sections 19, 20 may extend from the padded layers adjacent one end of the strip for connecting to one another around the head of the baby. The strip is preferably concave along the length of its first side.

Description

A BABY CRADLING AID

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a baby cradling aid to assist in the cradling of a baby.

The handling of babies requires great care to avoid un-necessary physical stresses being placed upon the baby s body, for example during lifting, moving, and putting down. Such manoeuvres may be performed many times per day and result in pain and/or discomfort, both for the baby and for those caring for the baby Discomfort in babies can for example occur due to incorrect placing of the hands on a baby s neck and bottom whilst lifting, resulting in uneven forces placing stress on the baby s spine. Sometimes the carer of the baby may lift the baby with their dominant hand rising more rapidly than the other hand, causing the babies spine to bow or bend unnaturally.

Babies spines typically have a C shape when first born rather than the adult S shape which develops overtime, and it is important for the development of the baby s spine that it is properly supported. There are also problems associated with holding babies too tightly on developing joints and muscles. Newly born babies neck muscles are not initially fully developed, and so it is important that a baby s head is held securely in relation to the rest of the baby's body.

It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide a baby cradling aid to assist in the manipulation of a baby by a carer.

According to the invention, there is provided a baby cradling aid for assisting in the cradling of a baby, comprising a strip of resiliently flexible material for supporting the length of the babies spine, a first layer of padded material on a first side of the strip for cushioning the baby from the strip, and a second layer of padded material on a second side of the strip for cushioning a carer of the baby from the strip.

I

The strip of resiliently flexible material provides support to the length of the baby s spine, and the padded layers above and below the strip provide comfort to both the baby and the person caring for the baby.

Advantageously, the first and second padded layers may be joined together around the periphery of the strip to form a pocket in which the strip is held. This can help enable the baby cradling aid to be simply manufactured, for example by stitching the first and second padded layers together to form the perimeter of the pocket.

The strip may be repeatably attachable and removable from the pocket, thereby enabling the strip to be removed for laundering and replaced afterwards.

Advantageously, the baby cradling aid may further comprise left and right side straps extending from the padded layers, the left and right side straps for extending between a baby s body and arms and for connecting to one another to secure the baby to the baby cradling aid. For example, the left side strap may extend under the baby s left arm, the right side strap may extend under the baby s right arm, and the left and right side straps may be joined together over the baby s chest/stomach. Furthermore, the straps may be conveniently joined together by a hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO(R). The straps may also have a sufficient length to extend over both the baby s chest/stomach and the baby s arms to help hold the arms in place.

The baby cradling aid may further comprise left and right hood sections extending from the padded layers adjacent one end of the strip, the left and right hood sections for connecting to one another around a baby s head to secure the head. Thereby, the baby s head may be prevented from lolling as the cradling aid is moved around. Additionally, the left and right hood sections may be repeatably attachable and removable from the padded layers so that the hood sections can be removed when not required and re-attached when necessary.

Advantageously, the strip may be adapted to flex elastically under the weight of a baby, to help provide proper support to a baby s C-shaped spine. The strip may be manufactured to be concave along the length of the first side of the strip, so that the C-shape of a baby s spine is even better supported. The strip may be made from a material such as plastic, and the plastic may flex substantially elastically, unless flexed beyond its natural elastic limit.

The padded material may be shaped to help retain a baby in the baby cradling aid, for example the first layer of padded material may be concave in a direction across a width of the strip. Typically, the width of the strip is in a direction across the width of the baby when the baby is correctly placed in the baby cradling aid, for example in a direction between the baby s shoulders when the baby is placed lying on its back within the baby cradling aid. The length of the strip is designed to be in alignment with the length of the baby s spine.

The concave shape of the first layer of padded material in a direction across a width of the strip may for example be manufactured by making the first layer of padded material narrower than the second layer of padded material in a direction across the width of the strip, so that the padded layers naturally curve upwards along their longitudinal edges at the left and right sides of the baby.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan schematic diagram of a baby cradling aid according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional schematic diagram taken along A-A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a baby within the baby cradling aid of Fig. 1.

The plan schematic diagram of Fig. 1 shows a baby cradling aid 4 comprising a first layer of padded material 5, a second layer of padded material 6 beneath the first layer of padded material, and a resiliently flexible strip 10 that is between the first and second layers of padded material.

The first and second padded layers 5 and 6 are joined together around the perimeter of the strip 10 by stitching 11 to form a pocket in which the strip is held.

Other means of joining the two layers of padded material together around the perimeter of the strip will also be apparent to those skilled in the art, for example by using an adhesive. In this embodiment, the first and second layers of padded material are also joined together by stitching 12 that extends around the perimeter of the first and second layers of padded material.

The first and second padded layers together form a body area 1 for supporting a baby s body and a head area 2 for supporting the baby s head/neck.

The combined length of the body and head areas is around 500mm, for example between 400 and 600mm. The average width of the body and head areas is around 130mm, for example between 100 and 160mm. The average combined thickness of the first and second padded layers and the strip is around 15 20mm.

The resiliently flexible strip 10 is for supporting the length of a baby s spine and accordingly extends along both the body area 1 and the head area 2.

The pocket in which the strip is held comprises an opening (not shown in Figs) so that the strip 10 can be removed through the opening, allowing the remainder of the baby cradling aid to be easily cleaned, for example by laundering.

In this embodiment the opening is present in the second padded layer and a zip is used to open or close the opening. However, the opening could alternatively be present in the first padded layer, or a break could be provided in the join between the first and second layers to provide an opening through which the strip could be withdrawn. The zip could be replaced by an alternative means for opening or closing the opening, for example button closures or a hook and loop fastener.

The baby cradling aid shown in Fig. 1 further comprises a left side strap 13 and a right side strap 14. The straps are fixed in between and extend from the first and second padded layers 5 and 6, and are for extending between a baby s body and arms and for connecting to one another to secure the baby to the baby cradling aid. The straps comprise a hook and loop fastener for connecting to one another, the hooks 15 being provided on the left side and the loops 16 being provided on the underside of the right strap 14 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the straps do not comprise any padding so that they can provide a firm attachment of the baby cradling aid to the baby.

The left and right straps further comprise left and right ties respectively, the left tie 17 for tying to the right tie 18 to provide additional security when the straps are connected to one another. The straps may for example be around 300mm long and 25mm wide.

The baby cradling aid shown in Fig. 1 further comprises left and right hood sections 19 and 20 extending from the padded layers, and adjacent the end of the strip where the baby s head is intended to rest. The left and right hood sections comprise hook 21 and loop 22 fasteners for connecting to one another around a babys head to secure the head. The hood sections are preferably padded to provide comfort to the baby s head. In this embodiment, the left and right hood sections 19 and 20 are formed in one piece that is attached to the second padded layerS by a hook and loop fastener. Accordingly, the left and right hood sections may be attached or removed from the baby cradling aid depending upon whether they are needed or not.

The resiliently flexible strip 10 is made plastic, and has a thickness such that it can flex elastically under the weight of a baby, for example 4kg. Various types of suitable plastics and thicknesses will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the strip 10 provides support to the baby and may act as a suspension that cushions the baby from any sudden movements or changes in the way that the baby cradling aid is being held by a carer. Other resiliently flexible materials such as carbon or glass fibre composites could also be used in alternate embodiments. In the Fig.1 embodiment, the strip lOis concave towards the first layer of padded material 5 and along the length Ln of the strip, to compliment the C-shaped spine of a baby when the baby is laid on its back on the first padded layer 5.

The cross sectional schematic diagram of Fig. 2 has been taken along section A-A marked on Fig.1, and shows that the first layer of padded material 5 is concave in a direction across the width Wd of the strip. It can be seen that the concave shape is a result of forming the first layer of padded material to be narrower than the second layer of padded material in a direction across the width Wd of the strip 10. The width of the strip 10 is about 100mm, for example between 70mm and 130mm.

The schematic diagram of Fig. 3 shows a baby 35 being cradled in the arms of a person 30 whilst using the baby cradling aid 4 of Fig. 1. As shown in fig. 3, the right hood section 20 is extended around the baby s head to meet the left hood section 19 (not visible in Fig. 3) and hold the babys head in position. The right side strap 14 extends between the baby s body and left arm to meet the left side strap 13, which extend between the baby s body and right arm. The straps meet one another in the region of the baby s chest/stomach, and the hook and loop fasteners 15 and 16 abut one another to hold the left and right side straps together. The left and right ties 17 and 18 are tied together to provide additional security. The baby cradling aid 4 enables the carer 30 to easily manoeuvre the baby 35 whilst maintaining the necessary support to the baby s body, for example as may be needed during breast feeding the baby or moving the baby from one location to another.

Further alternate embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims will also be apparent to the skilled person.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A baby cradling aid for assisting in the cradling of a baby, comprising a strip of resiliently flexible material for supporting the length of the baby s spine, a first layer of padded material on a first side of the strip for cushioning the baby from the strip, and a second layer of padded material on a second side of the strip for cushioning a carer of the baby from the strip.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. The baby cradling aid of claim 1, wherein the first and second padded layers are joined together around the periphery of the strip to form a pocket in which the strip is held.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. The baby cradling aid of claim 2, wherein the strip is repeatably attachable and removable from the pocket to enable laundering of the baby cradling aid absent the strip.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. The baby cradling aid of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising left and right side straps extending from the padded layers, the left and right side straps for extending between a baby s body and arms and for connecting to one another to secure the baby to the baby cradling aid.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. The baby cradling aid of claim 4, wherein the straps comprise hook and loop fasteners.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. The baby cradling aid of claim 4 or claim 5, further comprising left and right ties extending from the left and right straps, the left and right ties for tying together to provide additional security when the straps are connected to one another.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. The baby cradling aid of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising left and right hood sections extending from the padded layers adjacent one end of the strip, the left and right hood sections for connecting to one another around a baby s head to secure the head.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. The baby cradling aid of claim 7, wherein the left and right hood sections are repeatably attachable and removable from the padded layers.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is adapted to flex elastically under the weight of a baby.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is made of plastic.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is concave along the length of the first side of the strip.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the first layer of padded material is concave in a direction across the width of the strip.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. The baby cradling aid of claim 12, wherein the first layer of padded material is narrower than the second layer of padded material in a direction across the width of the strip.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A baby cradling aid substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.Amendments to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS1. A baby cradling aid for assisting in the cradling of a baby, comprising a strip of resiliently flexible material for supporting the length of the baby s spine, a first layer of padded material on a first side of the strip for cushioning the baby from the strip, and a second layer of padded material on a second side of the strip for cushioning a carer of the baby from the strip, wherein the first and second padded layers are joined together around the periphery of the strip to form a pocket in which the strip is held, and wherein the strip is repeatably attachable and removable from the pocket to enable laundering of the baby cradling aid absent the strip.
2. The baby cradling aid of claim 1, further comprising left and right side straps extending from the padded layers, the left and right side straps for extending between a baby s body and arms and for connecting to one another to secure the baby to the baby cradling aid.0
3. The baby cradling aid of claim 2, wherein the straps comprise hook and loop C") fasteners. (44. The baby cradling aid of claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising left and right ties extending from the left and right straps, the left and right ties for tying together to provide additional security when the straps are connected to one another.5. The baby cradling aid of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising left and right hood sections extending from the padded layers adjacent one end of the strip, the left and right hood sections for connecting to one another around a baby s head to secure the head.6. The baby cradling aid of claim 5, wherein the left and right hood sections are repeatably attachable and removable from the padded layers.7. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is adapted to flex elastically under the weight of a baby.8. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is made of plastic.9. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the strip is concave along the length of the first side of the strip.10. The baby cradling aid of any preceding claim, wherein the first layer of padded material is concave in a direction across the width of the strip.11. The baby cradling aid of claim 10, wherein the first layer of padded material is narrower than the second layer of padded material in a direction across the width of the strip.en 12. A baby cradling aid substantially as described herein with reference to the Cs,J accompanying drawings.</claim-text>