Abstract:
An infant wedge positioner positions an infant in a supine position for sleeping and reduces the risk of developing positional plagiocephaly. The infant positioner includes a first support bolster for supporting the torso and head of an infant. A second support bolster is connected to the first support bolster in spaced relationship for holding the infant snugly. The first support bolster has an upper surface that slopes transversely such that the infant&#39;s head is caused to rotate to the side while sleeping in the supine position.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This application relates generally to devices for positioning an infant while sleeping, and relates more particularly to an infant positioner for reducing the risk of sudden infant death while also reducing the risk of positional plagiocephaly, i.e., a flattened or misshapen region of the skull.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Medical studies have shown that infants who sleep on their backs or sides have a reduced risk of dying suddenly from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), compared to infants who sleep on their stomachs. Efforts by the American Academy of Pediatrics to disseminate this information to pediatricians and parents has resulted in an increase in the practice of placing infants in a supine position, i.e., on their backs for sleeping. A decrease in the incidence of SIDS has been observed in recent years.  
           [0003]    An unanticipated effect of the increasingly widespread practice of placing infants in a supine position for sleeping has been an increase in the number of infants developing positional plagiocephaly, i.e., a flat or misshapen area on the back of the skull. A newborn infant&#39;s skull is relatively deformable due to flexibility of the bone plates and non-fusion of the sutures between adjacent bone plates. This property of deformability permits the child&#39;s head to pass between the bones of the mother&#39;s pelvis during birth. As the infant matures, however, the bone plates of the skull become increasingly rigid and the sutures eventually fuse.  
           [0004]    When an infant spends many hours daily sleeping exclusively on his back, the bones at the back of the skull tend to flatten from pressure against the sleeping surface due to the weight of the child&#39;s head. If the practice of sleeping exclusively on the back is continued through the critical period during which the bones of the skull become rigid, the flat or misshapen area on the back of the skull can become permanent.  
           [0005]    It would be desirable to provide a structure that maintains the position of an infant on its back during sleep to gain the benefit of reducing the risk of dying from SIDS, but that also reduces the risk of the infant developing positional plagiocephaly. This and other desirable benefits are provided by the present invention described below in terms of a preferred embodiment.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    An infant positioner is provided for positioning an infant in a supine position for sleeping. The infant positioner also reduces the risk of developing positional plagiocephaly in an infant sleeping in a supine position. The infant positioner includes a first support bolster and a second support bolster connected thereto in spaced relationship. The spacing accommodates an infant&#39;s torso lying in a supine position on the first support bolster. The first support bolster has at least one upper surface that slopes transversely such that the infant&#39;s head is caused to rotate to the side while sleeping in the supine position.  
           [0007]    Other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description of preferred embodiment, made with reference to the drawings, that follows.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    In the drawings,  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an infant wedge positioner configured in accordance with the present invention, showing an infant thereupon;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the infant wedge positioner of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is an opposite side elevational view of the infant wedge positioner of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a foot end view of the infant wedge positioner of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a head end view of the infant wedge positioner and infant of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the infant wedge positioner of FIG. 1; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the infant wedge positioner of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 7 , there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of an infant wedge positioner  10  constructed in accordance with the present invention. The infant wedge positioner  10  includes a first support bolster  12  and a second support bolster  14  that is movably connectable to first support bolster  12  in a range of positions to facilitate adjusting the fit of infant positioner  10  to an individual infant, as described further below.  
         [0017]    First support bolster  12  is resilient, elastomeric, compressible and shape retaining. It is preferred to use a cross-sectional configuration for first support bolster  12  having at least a lower flat side to achieve a desired stable relationship with a mattress, floor, or other surface upon which infant wedge positioner is to be placed in use. It is further preferred that the first support bolster have at least one upper surface  18  that slopes transversely across substantially the whole width of the first support bolster  12 .  
         [0018]    First support bolster  12  has an exposed upper face  18 , a triangular foot end  20 , a triangular head end  22 , a side edge  24 , a side face  26 , and a lower face  28 . Upper and lower faces  18  and  28 , side face  26 , and triangular ends  20  and  22  are covered with cotton terry cloth or cotton flannel which, advantageously, is soft, liquid absorbent, sewable, conventionally washable, low in cost, and has a non-slip surface. All of these advantages make this material well suited for use with an infant. The core of first support bolster  12  is preferably polyurethane foam. Other materials are also contemplated such as, for example, polyester fiber fill. When a polyurethane foam is used, a conventional hot water and detergent washing procedure for infant wedge positioner  10  may not be desirable because of the heat sensitivity of foams in common use. Washing in cold or warm water would be more preferred.  
         [0019]    Extending from side edge  24  is a mat extension  30  that is generally flat, coplanar with the lower surface  28  of first support bolster  12 , and covered with the same cotton terry cloth or cotton flannel of which first support bolster  12  is covered. The fabric covering upper and lower faces  18  an  28 , ends  20  and  22 , and side face  26  is preferably sewn to the fabric of mat extension  30  to retain first support bolster  12  in a fixed location and orientation with respect to mat extension  30 . More specifically, first support bolster  12  is disposed with side edge  24 , comprising one longitudinal apex of the wedge-shaped bolster  12 , connected to and forming one edge of mat extension  30 . Preferably, side edge  24 , at the intersection of first support bolster  12  and mat extension  30 , is generally curved concavely as viewed from a point offset away from side edge  24 .  
         [0020]    Second support bolster  14  is somewhat pyramidally shaped, and like first support bolster  12  is resilient, elastomeric, compressible and shape-retaining. In transverse cross-section, second support bolster  14  preferably has the configuration of an equilateral triangle. Other cross-sectional configurations can be used if desired. Second support bolster  14  has a lower surface adjacent mat extension  30  for stability, similar to first support bolster  12 , but is not permanently attached in a fixed position to mat extension  30 , as described further below.  
         [0021]    Second support bolster  14  has two exposed, longitudinal upper faces  32  and  34 , a triangular foot end  36  and a triangular shoulder end  38 . The lower longitudinal face  40  of support bolster  14  lies adjacent mat extension  30 . As with first support bolster  12 , upper faces  32  and  34 , triangular ends  36  and  38 , and lower face  40  are covered with the same or similar fabric material, preferably terry cloth or cotton flannel, of which first support bolster  12  is covered. Like first support bolster  12 , the core of second support bolster  14  is preferably polyurethane foam, but other materials are also contemplated such as, for example, polyester fiber fill.  
         [0022]    The fabric covering upper faces  32  and  34  and ends  36  and  38  of second support bolster  14  is preferably sewn to fabric of like kind that covers the lower longitudinal face  40  of support bolster  14 . In other words, the core material of second support bolster  14  is covered on all five faces with fabric, preferably terry cloth or cotton flannel.  
         [0023]    Second support bolster  14  is not attached in a fixed location and orientation with respect to mat extension  30 , but rather is removably connected thereto, and hence to first support bolster  12 , in a range of positions. Generally speaking, second support bolster  14  is disposed with the longitudinal apex generally parallel to and adjacent side edge  24 , and offset laterally therefrom. To permit the location of second support bolster  14  to be adjusted relative to mat extension  30 , a well-known hook and loop fabric fastener system  42  is employed. Fastener system  42  includes a first elongated strip component  44  having a plurality of fiber loops on the face thereof. Preferably, loop component  44  is attached to the top surface  46  of mat extension  30 , with the loops facing upwardly. This arrangement is preferred because the loop component of the hook and loop fastener system is less scratchy than the hook portion, and the infant is more likely to come in contact with the portion attached to mat extension  30 . Elongated loop component  44  is oriented transversely relative to the intended orientation of second support bolster  14  and therefore lies generally parallel to and about halfway between the planes defined by ends  20  and  22 , while extending outwardly away from edge  24 . Loop component  44  is stitched to mat extension  30 .  
         [0024]    Fastener system  42  further includes a second elongated strip component  48  having a plurality of hooks suitable for releasably engaging the loops of component  44  in well-known fashion. Hook component  48  is attached to the lower longitudinal face  40  of second support bolster  14  with the loops facing downwardly toward mat extension  30  and toward loop component  44 . Elongated hook component  48  is oriented transversely relative to second support bolster  14  and is affixed to lower face  40  by stitching about halfway between triangular ends  36  and  38 , so as to overlie loop component  44  in normal use. Hook component  48  has a length equal to or less than the width of the lower face  40  of second support bolster  14  to which it is affixed. Loop component  44  has a length greater than that of hook component  48 , thereby permitting second support bolster  14  to be removably attached to mat extension  30  in a range of lateral positions relative to first support bolster  12 .  
         [0025]    In use, an infant  16  is placed on its back upon infant wedge positioner  10  for sleeping. The infant&#39;s body and head are disposed upon first support bolster  12 . Second support bolster  14  is moved closer to or farther away from first support bolster  12 , as required to engage and hold the infant snugly. The sloping upper face  18  of wedge-shaped first support bolster  12  causes the sleeping infant&#39;s head to rotate sideways under the force of gravity such that the infant&#39;s head is facing toward the base of the slope. This rotation, or turning, of the infant&#39;s head prevents the infant from developing a flat spot on the back of the skull, since the weight of the head is borne on the side of the head rather than on the back of the head.  
         [0026]    While the present invention has been described in detail in terms of a preferred embodiment, the description is illustrative only and no limitation of the scope of the invention is intended thereby. The scope of the invention in which applicant is claiming exclusive rights is defined by the claims below.