Device for preventing infant colic

A device for preventing infant colic and stomach discomfort includes a collar or vest for attachment to the infant and a bubble level is attached to the collar or vest for visually indicating the position of the infant's torso with respect to vertical. The level visually displays a range of desirable positions with respect to vertical for the infant's torso during nursing, and the level displays a range of desirable positions with respect to vertical for the infant's torso during so-called burping procedures for eliminating air from the infant's stomach.

This invention relates to a device for preventing infant colic and more 
particularly to such a device which can be conveniently attached to the 
infant for visually indicating the position of the infant's torso during 
nursing and so-called burping of the infant. 
Very young infants often suffer from the painful condition known as colic. 
The most obvious outward sign of the malady is a distressed wailing by the 
infant which often lasts for over an hour. The condition frequently occurs 
shortly after eating and ends just before it comes time for the next 
feeding. Colic is caused by air entrapped in the alimentary canal during 
and just after feeding, and the discomfort experienced is similar to that 
of so-called "gas pains". 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device 
for preventing infant colic. 
Another object is to provide such a device which enables positioning of the 
infant during nursing so as to prevent or reduce collection of air in the 
alimentary canal of the infant. 
A further object of the invention is the provision of such a device which 
enables positioning of the infant during so-called "burping" to most 
effectively permit release of air trapped in the infant's stomach. 
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in 
part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from 
the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The 
objects and advantages are realized and attained by means of the 
instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the 
appended claims. 
To achieve these and other objects the present invention provides a device 
for preventing infant colic and stomach discomfort, the device comprising: 
means for attachment to the infant; and means in operative relationship 
with the attachment means for visually indicating the position of the 
infant's torso with respect to vertical. 
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the 
following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory but are not 
restrictive of the invention.

With reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters 
designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there 
is shown in FIG. 1 a representation of an infant's stomach 10. The 
esophagus 12, cardiac sphincter 14, pyloric sphincter 16 and fundus 18 are 
also illustrated. 
When the torso of the infant is in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 1, 
stomach 10 defines a bulge 20 which extends upwardly from an imaginary 
horizontal line 22 which extends substantially through cardiac sphincter 
14. 
Appreciable amounts of air are swallowed by infant's during suckling, and 
that air collects within bulge 20 of the infant's stomach. In order to 
relieve the collection of air within bulge 20, it is common practice to 
"burp" infants after each feeding. However, because bulge 20 extends above 
imaginary horizontal line 22 when the infant's torso is in a substantially 
vertical position, not all of the air trapped within bulge 20 can reach 
the upper opening of the stomach, or cardiac sphincter 14. As a result, a 
portion of the air remains trapped within bulge 20. 
When the infant is then placed into a horizontal position after it has been 
"burped", the air which still remains within stomach 10 and within bulge 
20 can move, along with the stomach contents, through pyloric sphincter 16 
into the duodenum, the jejunum and finally into the ilium. This movement 
of air through the digestive tract of the infant causes discomfort and 
pain to the infant, and this discomfort and pain is evidenced by the 
infant's crying. 
In order to help the infant eliminate substantially all of the air from 
stomach 10 during the "burping" process, it is advisable to tilt the 
infant slightly to its left so that the highest portion or fundus 18 of 
bulge 20 in stomach 10 is positioned substantially level with cardiac 
sphincter 14. This position of stomach 10 is shown in FIG. 2. In this 
position, even if a small amount of bulge 20 remains above horizontal line 
22, little or no air can be trapped within bulge 20 because the stomach 
undergoes a constant kneading action. 
During the time that the infant is being fed and before it is "burped", 
there is present in the infant's stomach a mixture of air and food. If the 
infant is fed in a supine position, it is certain that the air-food 
mixture will come into contact with pyloric sphincter 16. Because the 
muscles that control pyloric sphincter 16 are not very strong at an early 
age, the possibility exists of leakage of the air-food mixture through 
pyloric sphincter 16. Air that enters the intestine cannot be "burped" 
out. 
It is, therefore, important that the infant be fed in an essentially 
upright position at all times so that the stomach contents which come into 
contact with pyloric sphincter 16 will be low in air content. If the 
infant is fed in a substantially upright or vertical position, the hazard 
of having air pass directly from the infant's mouth via its stomach to its 
intestine will be substantially eliminated. 
Accordingly, device 24 of this invention prevents infant colic and stomach 
discomfort by guiding and reminding the person feeding the infant to 
maintain the infant in a substantially vertical position during the 
feeding process. Device 24 also guides and reminds the person feeding the 
infant to tilt the infant's torso during the "burping" process so that the 
maximum amount of air trapped within bulge 20 of stomach 10 can be 
eliminated through the infant's cardiac sphincter 14. 
In accordance with the invention, device 24 includes means 26 for 
attachment to the infant. Further, device 24 includes means 28 in 
operative relationship with attachment means 26 for visually indicating 
the position of the infant's torso with respect to vertical. 
Indicating means 28 preferably include a bubble level 30 which visually 
displays a range of desirable positions from 35 to 33 with respect to 
vertical for the infant's torso during so-called "burping" procedures for 
most effectively eliminating air from the infant's stomach. See FIG. 7. 
Attachment means 26 are normally attached to the infant for enabling level 
30 to display desired leftward leaning positions of the infant's torso 
with respect to vertical so that the infant can be tilted to the left, as 
previously described, during the "burping" procedure. Level 30 preferably 
displays a range of preferred positions for feeding the infant of from 
vertical to substantially twenty-five degrees from vertical. This range of 
positions is shown in FIG. 7 as the range between indicia 31 and 33, and 
this range is satisfactory for feeding because it will prevent air from 
traveling directly from the infant's mouth through the esophagus and 
stomach to the infant's intestine. 
Level 30 also displays a range of preferred positions for "burping" the 
infant of from substantially fifteen to twenty-five degrees from vertical. 
This range of positions is shown in FIG. 7 as the range between indicia 35 
and 33, and this range of positions will substantially position bulge 20 
of the infant's stomach beneath imaginary horizontal line 22 so as to 
enable air trapped within bulge 20 to escape through cardiac sphincter 14 
and through the infant's esophagus during the "burping" procedure. 
Attachment means 26 may preferably include a collar 32 which can be 
positioned around the infant's neck and which can be fastened by a hook 
and loop type fastener, such as Velcro, or other conventional means 34. 
Collar 32 is preferably shaped to support the infant's head in an upright 
position with respect to the infant's torso. This will relieve the person 
feeding the infant from the additional task of supporting the infant's 
head during feeding and "burping" procedures. 
Alternately, attachment 26 may include a vest 36 which is removably 
attachable about the shoulders and torso of the infant. Hook and loop type 
fastening elements, such as Velcro, or other conventional fastening means 
38 can be used to removably attach vest 36 to the infant. 
Another embodiment may provide for a combination collar and vest which is 
removably attachable about the neck, shoulders and torso of the infant. 
See FIG. 6. The collar portion of such a collar-vest combination is 
preferably shaped to support the infant's head in an upright position with 
respect to the infant's torso in the same manner as described with respect 
to collar 32. 
In each embodiment, level 30 is attached to the collar or vest to enable 
the person feeding or "burping" the infant to easily observe level 30 so 
as to enable that person to maintain the infant in the desired position. 
Level 30 is constructed so that it will only indicate how far the infant 
is leaning to its left. Level 30 will not show forward or backward leaning 
of the child, but forward or backward leaning of the child within a range 
of approximately ten degrees will not affect the ability of level 30 to 
indicate leftward leaning of the child. This will obviate the need to 
maintain the infant in any precise position during the feeding and 
"burping" procedures. There is no need to position the infant with extreme 
accuracy. Rather, the results intended will be accomplished if the 
infant's torso is substantially maintained within the feeding range 
displayed by level 30 during the feeding process and if the infant's torso 
is maintained within the "burping" range displayed by level 30 during the 
"burping" procedure. Level 30 serves as a guide for the person feeding and 
"burping" the infant and the level also serves as a reminder of the 
importance of the infant's position during the feeding and "burping" 
procedures. 
The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details 
shown and described, and departures may be made from such details without 
departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its 
chief advantages.