The present invention relates to field of clothing and more particularly concerns infant sleepwear that minimizes the risk of infant smothering, suffocation, and strangulation and helps to hold up an infant's diaper.
Smothering is an unfortunate cause of death of newborns and infants in the United States. Some causes of infant smothering include infant overlay and positional asphyxia. Infant overlay occurs when an infant is sleeping with an adult and the adult smothers the infant. Positional asphyxia occurs when an infant's face is trapped in soft bedding or is wedged in small spaces with cushions or mattresses. Often times, parents of infants are concerned about suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Even though parents have utilized infant safety educational courses and utilized safety equipment on furniture in their homes to reduce the risk of infant smothering and injury, infant smothering remains a persistent concern of parents for their infant's well being. Furthermore, safety equipment on furniture and safety courses may not offer meaningful solutions to address the risks of infant suffocation due to the infant's own clothing.
Different types of infant sleepwear offer parents benefits and detriments when dressing their infants for bed. Parents may be concerned about whether to dress their infant in a one-piece or two-piece garment when the infant sleeps. Garments made as one piece covering the infant's entire body or two-piece garments (i.e. pants and shirt) are a safety issue for parents concerned about infant suffocation. Dressing infants in a one-piece garment may be inconvenient for parents since the one-piece garments are more difficult to remove and there is less variety in dressing the infant. On the other hand, dressing infants in two-piece garments may offer parents more variety when dressing their infant, but bears the risk of a separate shirt riding up and interfering with the infant's breathing. Both types of clothing have benefits and detriments more particularly described below.
Infants may wear one-piece pajama garments where the shirt and pants are comprised of one continuous garment. However, one-piece garments may cover an infant's entire body. For example, an “onesie” covers the arms, legs, and torso of an infant. Alternatively, one-piece garments may leave parts of the infant's legs exposed to allow the parents to easily access the infant's diaper or to change the infant. One-piece garments are often cumbersome for parents to remove or to dress the infant. Additionally, one-piece garments may not regulate an infant's temperature properly. If the garment covers the infant's entire body, the infant may be very warm. Some one piece garments expose the infant's legs so the infant may get cold. To address the issue of temperature regulation of the infant, a parent may dress an infant in a two-piece garment with separated pants and a shirt. However, the risk of suffocation or strangulation for an infant dressed in a two-piece garment is a concern to parents. Thus, there is a need for two-piece sleepwear for infants that address these risks.
Furthermore, an infant's diaper may drag down a pair of pants due its size. Moreover a diaper may become saturated when an infant is sleeping or between diaper changes. When an infant's diaper is full, the weight and increased size of the diaper might cause an infant's pants to be dragged down, causing the infant discomfort.
With the foregoing in mind, a system of infant clothing is required that has the convenience of dressing an infant in a two-piece outfit, but without the concerns of infant suffocation. With the need for that system in mind, the inventor has created a two-piece anti-smother baby sleepwear system that minimizes the risk of infant suffocation and also helps to hold up an infant's diaper.
In accordance with the invention, the infant suffocation problem is eliminated by securing the infant shirt to the infant pants thereby preventing the infant shirt from riding up and interfering with the infant's ability to breath. A system where the infant pajama top is secured to the infant sleepwear bottom allows infants to wear two-piece sleepwear, but reduces the risk of smothering, suffocation, or strangulation from the infant pajama top. The invention also holds up an infant's diaper using at least one elastic band in the infant's pants.
The system includes a pair of pants and a shirt. The pants and the shirt are connected by at least two straps that connect the front side, the back side, or both sides of the shirt to the pants. The straps connect the top portion of the pants to the bottom portion of the shirt in a spaced apart relationship from each other. One end of each strap connects to the bottom portion shirt and one end of each strap connects to the top portion of the pants. The straps may fasten to the shirt and the pants on the interior, exterior, or any combination thereof.
The system may also include at least one elastic band starting at the right side of the bottom of the buttocks portion of the pants to the left side of bottom of the buttocks portion of the pants. Such elastic band would prevent the infant's diaper from sagging and dragging down the pants, especially if the diaper is full.
The elastic band would also support the diaper and prevent a diaper from putting too much weight on the straps connecting the pants to the shirt and causing the infant discomfort from the shirt exerting pressure on the infant's body. Furthermore, with the at least one elastic band securing the diaper closer to the infant's body, there will be less likelihood of leakage from a diaper, especially a diaper that is full. If the elastic bands are used in conjunction with padding located on the buttocks of the pants, then the diaper will also be better secured to the infants body through the extra cushioning and the force from the at least one elastic band.
The system can also include extended foot coverings that are continuous from the pants. Such foot coverings may be made from a breathable material that readily exchanges air and moisture from the outside of the foot coverings to the inside of the foot coverings. The breathable nature of the material will allow an infant's feet to stay cool during the hotter seasons of the year by promoting air and moisture exchange.
The system can also include cushioning on the pants. The cushioning may be placed back side, front side, or both sides of the pants to prevent injuries to the infant if the infant should fall. Another embodiment of the invention can be comprised of pants that are slightly longer than knee length and forego the foot coverings for a more active lifestyle.
The system may also include straps that have a plurality of fasteners to adjust the tautness of the straps to fit the size of the infant.
Furthermore, the invention may consist of elastic bands located on the buttocks portion of the pants to support an infant's diaper and prevent the diaper from dragging down the infant's pants.
The invention also consists of a method to prevent infant suffocation from the infant's clothing that may cover the infant's face. The method comprises the following steps: providing the infant with a shirt and pants. Next, the parent can connect the pants and shirt with at least two straps that connect on the front side, the back side, or both sides of the shirt to the pants. One end of each strap connects to the bottom portion of shirt and one end of each strap connects to the top portion of the pants. The parent may connect the shirt and the pants by fastening the straps on the interior, exterior, or any combination thereof. Thus, a parent may dress their infant in a manner that is suitable for the weather, in a manner that is convenient for changing the infant's clothes and diaper, and also reducing the risk of infant suffocation where an infant's shirt may cover the infant's face.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended to provide example embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the function and the sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Some embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to
The at least two straps 20 are secured to the pants and shirt by means of fasteners 23 and 24. The straps 20 may be made from the same material as the clothing 1 or a different blend of material for greater rigidity or softness of the straps. Near the first end 21 of the strap 20 is a fastener 23 which may be secured to the interior 12 of the pants 5 as illustrated in
To illustrate the positioning of the clothing 1 and the strap 20,
As illustrated in the figures above, one who practices the invention may also secure the strap 20 as described above to the exterior 13 of the pants 5, the exterior 11 of the shirt 2, or any combination thereof. Securing the strap 20 to the interior 10 of the shirt 2 (or the interior 12 of the pants 5) may prevent the infant from undoing the straps. Securing the straps 20 to the exterior 11 of the shirt 2 (of the exterior 13 pants 5) may be more convenient for the parent who wishes to change the infant's clothing or diaper with easier access to the strap 20.
When the shirt 2 and pants 5 are secured through the use of the straps 20, the shirt 2 is resistant to riding up to smother the baby's face. Thus, babies are able to wear clothing 1 with less risk of suffocation, better temperature regulation, and offer parents greater ease in changing their infants.
Additionally, in
The at least one elastic band 100, or bands 101, would also support the diaper and prevent a diaper from putting too much weight on the straps 20, 40 connecting the pants 5 to the shirt 2 and causing the infant discomfort from the shirt 2 exerting pressure on the infant's body. Furthermore, with the at least one elastic band 100, or bands 101, securing the diaper closer to the infant's body, there will be less likelihood of leakage from a diaper, especially from a diaper that is full.
To illustrate the positioning of the clothing 1 and the strap 40,
As illustrated in the figures above, one who practices the invention may secure the strap 40 as described above to the exterior 13 of the pants 5, the exterior 11 of the shirt 2, or any combination thereof.
Also shown in
Furthermore,
Additionally,
One who practices the invention may also provide cushioning 51 and 52 on exterior 13 of the pants 5, interior 12 of the pants 5, any position on the pants 5 where an infant may likely fall on, or any combination thereof.
Next, in
The at least one elastic band 100, or bands 101, would also support the diaper and prevent a diaper from putting too much weight on the straps 20, 40 connecting the pants 5 to the shirt 2 and causing the infant discomfort from the shirt 2 exerting pressure on the infant's body. Furthermore, with the at least one elastic band 100, or bands 101, securing the diaper closer to the infant's body, there will be less likelihood of leakage from a diaper, especially from a diaper that is full.
The elastic bands 101 may also be used are used in conjunction with padding or cushioning 52 located on the buttocks of the pants 5, then the diaper will also be better secured to the infants body through the extra cushioning and the force from the at least one elastic band 100, or bands 101.
When the straps 20 have additional fasteners 23-26, the strap 20 is adjustable for tautness to promote a better fit for a growing infant. The fasteners 23-26 may be comprised of buttons, rivets, any equivalent means or combinations that may be practiced. Thus, infants are able to wear clothing 1 with less risk of suffocation, better temperature regulation, and offer parents greater ease in changing their infants.
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 14/68,101, filed on Aug. 25, 2014.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14468101 | Aug 2014 | US |
Child | 14724697 | US |