IES75675B2 - A device for an infant - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for supporting an infant props the infant into a position in which it lies on its side and is prevented from rolling onto its back or stomach. The device (1) comprises a pair of wedge-shaped cushions (2) spaced apart by a thin, flexible, elastic web (3). The web (3) may be stretched or gathered to increase or decrease the separation between the cushions (2). Each cushion has an inclined surface (21) which is wedged under the torso of the infant in use. Overheating of the infant is avoided by sizing the cushions so as to extend only along the torso of the infant, leaving the head and limbs free for heat loss. The cushions (2) are sufficiently short so as not to restrict or impede movement of the head or limbs.

Description

Α DEVICE FOR AN INFANT The present invention relates to a cushion for supporting an infant and in particular to a * cushion which supports the infant on its side whilst preventing the child from rolling to a position in which he or she lies on the back or stomach.

It has been proposed that one cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or cot death, may be respiratory difficulties which arise when an infant of age between 0-6 months sleeps in a position lying on its back or stomach. Consequently, parents and other carers are advised to position a baby for sleep by lying the child on its side. To counteract the tendency for the child to fall forward onto the stomach or backward onto the back, various devices have been suggested to support the child in the desired position.

One such device is disclosed in EP 0 662 293 A which provides a pair of flattened, wedgeshaped cushions, one to be placed on either side of the child to prop it into the desired sleeping position. Each cushion has attached to it a flexible web which is under the child’s torso in use. The webs are overlapped to the degree required to give the necessary separation between the cushions to accommodate the child on its side, and the weight of the child on the webs prevents the cushions from moving apart. This device is somewhat unwieldy to use as the child must be placed, lifted and replaced whilst the cushions are adjusted to the required spaced apart positions.

In WO91/16842 there is disclosed a restrainer for a baby which comprises two rounded, weighted bolsters connected by a wide connecting band. A weighted bolster is placed to either side of the child as props and the connecting band is placed over the child’s torso. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that the child can become overheated.

EP 0615417B discloses a support having a long bolster and a short bolster connected by k a connecting web. The long bolster supports the child’s back and the short one supports its front. The web includes hook and loop (Velcro ™) adjusting means to enable the distance separating the bolsters to be altered. This device is relatively expensive to produce. -2GB 2 274 246 B describes a support having a pair of wedge shaped, interconnected cushions. Both cushions are long enough to extend along almost the full length of the child in use. This can give rise to overheating. To avoid any obstruction of the child’s respiration, the cushion against which the face lies is provided with a recess in the area where the mouth and nose lie in use, making this type of support relatively complex and expensive to produce.

The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the known child supports and to provide a simple, easy to use infant support device which is not likely to cause overheating or to interfere with respiration.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one embodiment of an infant support device according to the invention. In the drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infant support device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view thereof; Figure 3 is a plan view thereof from above; Figure 4 is a plan view thereof from below; and Figure 5 is an end view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the infant support device 1 comprises a pair of truncated, triangular shaped wedges 2 connected by a flexible web 3. The two wedges are of equal length, selected so that the wedges extend in use along only a portion of the torso of an infant. In particularly, they are sufficiently short so that the child can freely move its legs, arms and head. A suitable length for the wedges is about 13 cm (5 inches). Freedom of -3movement of the limbs allows the limbs to develop correctly and is more comfortable for the baby. The child is able freely to stretch or to draw its legs into the pre-birth position.

The flexible web 3 is permanently connected to the wedges. Each wedge 2 comprises a covering sized and shaped to accommodate a suitably shaped filling material such as foam. The covering includes an opening 4 on its underside sized to enable the filling material to be inserted into and retained by the covering. The foam filling can be compressed to allow it to fit through the opening 4. Once inside the covering, the foam resumes its normal shape and size. Both web 3 and coverings are most preferably fabricated from the same textile material, which in a most preferred arrangement comprises a soft thin, washable, elastic fabric. Since the material comprising the web 3 is thin and soft, the distance between the wedges in use can be adjusted simply by stretching the web or forming small gathers in it. In the event that gathers need to be formed in the web 3 to bring the wedges 2 closer together to accommodate a smaller infant, then these will be soft and relatively flat and will not cause discomfort to the child. Once the distance has been adjusted, the wedges will be held at the chosen separation by the weight of the child distributed on the angled wedges. Thus, no special means need be provided to enable adjustment of the distance between the wedges to be achieved.

Each free edge 31 of the web 3 can be provided with a binding to prevent fraying of the fabric. The binding may be elastic to enable it to stretch with the fabric of the web 3. Alternatively, the web fabric may be doubled over the edges 31 and fixed by sewing or otherwise.

Wedge 2, which in use is placed against the infant’s back, is shaped and sized to support the back only, allowing heat from the head and other parts of the body to be released. This helps to avoid overheating, which has been suggested to be a contributory cause of cot death.

When not in use, the device can be folded compactly by placing the wedges 2 against one another. It is small, light and easy to carry. -4The shape of the wedges 2 is generally a quadrilateral triangular prism. The walls 21 of the wedge which support the infant’s body in use are inclined at an acute angle so as to support the body in a natural position. As the top 22 of the wedge is flat, it has a larger surface area and density than a peaked top would have, making it more stable and making the product safer.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A device for supporting an infant in a position lying on its side, comprising a pair of generally wedge-shaped cushions connected by a thin, flexible web, each cushion 5 having a length shorter than the torso of the infant so that the cushions support the torso between them without restricting movement of the head or limbs, each cushion having an inclined surface and the inclined surfaces being opposed to one another and spaced apart from one another by the web so that in use the torso lies on the web and overlaps the inclined surfaces with the weight of the infant retaining the cushions in the spaced 10 apart position, the thin web being capable of being gathered or stretched to enable the separation between the cushions to be altered to accommodate different sized torsos.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which each cushion has a planar upper surface adjacent to an upper edge of the inclined surface.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which each cushion comprises a removable filling material and a covering, the covering being connected to the thin web.

4. A device according to Claim 3 in which the covering and the web comprise a washable, 20 elastic fabric.

5. A device for supporting an infant substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.