Skin-to-skin care garment

Abstract

A convertible garment for skin-to-skin care of an infant, the garment including a flexible panel having a panel width disposed between panel first and second ends which removably couple to one another to dispose the panel width about a torso of a wearer to define an interior space between a panel internal surface and a front torso portion of the wearer, whereby the interior space can be configured to receive an infant; a first support element coupled to the panel proximate a panel first side top portion; and a second support element coupled to the panel proximate a panel second side top portion; whereby the first and second support elements can be configured to couple to one another to support the panel about the torso of the wearer.

Description

[0001]This U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29 / 504,087, filed Oct. 1, 2014, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 960,996, filed Oct. 2, 2013, each hereby incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that skin-to-skin contact, also known as “kangaroo care,” practiced immediately after birth and beyond, may offer multiple medical benefits for both the care provider and the baby. Skin-to-skin contact is a holding technique where the care provider positions a baby, wearing only a diaper, against their bare chest. Full chest-to-chest contact between the care provider and the baby may stimulate a hormonal cascade resulting in the production of oxytocin within the brain of the baby. Oxytocin is a neuromodulator which may provide a sense of calm, happiness, and contentment by inhibiting the release of one or more s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a convertible garment for skin-to-skin care of infants. It includes a flexible panel that can be placed around the torso of a wearer to create a space inside where the baby can be placed. The garment also has first and second support elements that can be connected to each other to support the garment around the torso of the wearer. This makes it easy to comfortably and safely hold the baby while still being able to take care of them. The technical effects of this invention are a more comfortable and safe way of skin-to-skin care for infants.

Problems solved by technology

However, there may be perceived barriers to the implementation of skin-to-skin contact, including a lack of protocols or guidelines for safe implementation that allows for a comfortable and private experience for the provider and the infant.

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