mcinnes patents AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT TITLE: Baby Garment with Integral Dummy Attachment Means APPLICANT: Shae Louise Tye 6 Lothian Street Winston Hills NSW 2153 INVENTOR: Shae Louise Tye 6 Lothian Street Winston Hills NSW 2153 ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: HODGKINSON McINNES PATENTS Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys Level 21, 201 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000 HMcIP REFERENCE: P21332AU01 2 Baby Garment with Integral Dummy Attachment Means TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to baby garments and more particularly 5 relates to baby garments that allow a baby to sleep in a more natural and comfortable position, having their forearms free and able to bend their elbows to raise their forearms up towards their heads. The garments also include an attachment site for one or more dummies (pacifiers) to be attached thereon to facilitate the baby's access to 10 the dummy, particularly allowing the baby to self sooth themselves in the event that a dummy in the baby's mouth is dislodged whilst the baby is asleep. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 15 During the early months of life, and in particular when tooth growth begins and teething and gum pain are common, babies have a natural instinct to suckle or place their hands and/or other objects in their mouth, both to self sooth and to alleviate any pain and discomfort that the baby may be experiencing. 20 Dummies, also known as pacifiers, in particular have long been used to assist with babies self soothing, especially in respect of the difficulties that may be experienced in trying to get babies to go to sleep. Even more so, it has also been shown that the use of dummies may contribute to a reduction in the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in babies. 25 As identified above, it is very common for dummies to be used when trying to get babies to go to sleep, and it is also common for babies to wake up if a dummy that is placed in their mouth when trying to get the baby to go to sleep is dislodged from their mouth when the baby is sleeping.
3 Indeed, it is often the case that in order to get a baby to go back to sleep if they have woken up, it is simply a matter of replacing the dummy in their mouth. However, babies and particularly those under 6 months of age have 5 limited tongue, eye and hand control and coordination. Accordingly, if the dummy is dislodged from their mouth, it is quite difficult, if not even almost impossible, for a baby to place the dummy back into their own mouth themselves. A disadvantage exists with the use of dummies in that the dummy will 10 often fall out of the baby's mouth, particularly with very young babies and/or when the baby is lying down. Due to their limited vision and physical dexterity, the baby often cannot locate the dummy (particularly in the dark) and then replace it in their mouth. This will usually cause the baby to become quickly distressed until such time as a parent or carer can attend to 15 the baby in order to locate and replace the dummy for them. Indeed, it is common for parents to scatter multiple dummies in a baby's cot or playpen in the hope that, during the night, their baby will be able to locate one on their own before they become distressed. However, experience has shown this method to have limited success. 20 Moreover, as discussed briefly above, babies also commonly use their own thumbs, fingers and hands to suckle and self soothe. Particularly, it has been found that babies who have access to their hands settle better and sleep longer. In other words, a more natural and comfortable position, in which a baby will sleep is one that has their forearms free and allows the 25 baby to bend their elbows to raise their forearms up towards their head. This sleeping position also allows the baby to suckle their own thumbs, fingers and hands and it has been shown repeatedly in studies that non nutritive sucking is a natural reflex in young babies.
4 For example, the following citations offer support for the importance of allowing babies to self-sooth by sucking, as well as the advantages of allowing a baby to sleep with their hands free in an upward position: 5 - "Thumb sucking is one of the most common habits of children. Approximately 50 to 87 percent of children suck their thumbs. The habit starts early in life, with 90 percent of newborns showing some form of hand sucking by 2 hours of age". (Children's Hospital Boston, Article 2006). 10 - "The need to suck is present in all infants. Some infants suck their thumbs even before they are born, and some will do it right after being born". (American Academy of Pediatrics, "Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers" 2000). - "An extremely fussy two day old baby when offered self regulatory 15 non-nutritive sucking (SNS) for as long as required (to satiety) after feeding. The effect was striking. The infant settled down immediately, sucked almost steadily for 30 minutes and fell into a deep sleep". (Carol Porter Measel, Gene Cranston Anderson "Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing" Volume 8, Issue 5 Pages 265 20 2721979 by NAACOG, a division of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). Furthermore, there is also strong evidence to suggest that a baby's 25 more preferred and natural sleeping position is with their arms bent at the elbow, which allows the baby to suck on their hands should they wish to. For example, the following citation provides support for the importance of allowing babies to sleep in this preferred position: 30 - "A new baby's natural position is with her arms bent at the elbow and her legs flexed. Above all, leave her hands where she can suck them if she wants and is able to do so". (Leach, Penelope Dr., "Your Baby and Child" 2003, pg 18).
5 Accordingly, there is a desire for a Baby Garment that both allows a baby to sleep in their preferred natural position, with their arms bent at the elbow and their hands and forearms in an upwards position raised up 5 towards their head and where their hands can be sucked if desired, and which also provides a means for the baby to replace a dummy into their mouth in the event that the dummy is dislodged from their mouth whilst they are asleep. United States Patent 7587769 discloses an article for swaddling a baby 10 that includes a blanket formed with opposed arm-receiving sleeves. The blanket incorporates a dummy retaining structure, which is formed in the blanket between an outer edge of the blanket and one of the opposed arm receiving openings and which is for receiving and retainer a dummy relative to the blanket. However this swaddling article is difficult to use and does not 15 assist babies to retrieve the additionally attached dummy themselves if the dummy that is in the baby's mouth is dislodged whilst the baby is asleep. Furthermore, this article is a swaddling blanket, and not all parents wish to swaddle their babies whilst they are asleep. United States Patent 6269502 discloses a method and apparatus for 20 holding a dummy within a dummy holder. In the preferred embodiment, the dummy is internally secured by means within a rolled quilt holder with the nipple projecting from the rolled holder. The holder also includes means for securing the holder to the bedding, such as Velcro or the like. Additionally, methods are described for wrapping an infant in a blanket in such a way as 25 to prevent movement of the arms and legs of the infant so that the infant can properly access the pacifier and holder. Similar to the patent described above, this method of swaddling a baby does not assist babies to retrieve the additionally attached dummy themselves if the dummy that is in the baby's mouth is dislodged whilst the baby is asleep. Furthermore, this 30 article is a swaddling blanket, and not all parents wish to swaddle their babies whilst they are asleep.
6 International PCT Patent Publication No. WO/1999/006008 discloses a gravity driven positioning and return device for babies' dummies. The device includes a semi-rigid but extremely flexible element that is capable of bending and easily returning in the rectilinear position which, in 5 collaboration with a counterbalance that is fixed to a lower end and with a ring fixed to the upper end, allows the dummy either to remain in the chosen position or to slide through a ring fixed to a hooking system, applied to a baby's clothes next to their chest. The device allows the baby to easily bring the pacifier to their mouths and drop it preventing it from falling down 10 or from touching the floor even if the baby is bent over. This device has a lot of moving parts and is not easy for the baby to us. Moreover, this device is not designed to be particularly useful when a baby is sleeping and does not allow the baby to easily retrieve their own dummy if it is dislodged whilst the baby is asleep. 15 International PCT Patent Publication No. WO/2009/050438 discloses another device for holding one or more dummies. This device can keep a dummy within the reach of a baby and allows the baby to retrieve the dummy if it has fallen out of the baby's mouth. However, the size of the device is not suitable to attach to the clothing of the baby, nor does this 20 device provide a way for a dummy to be attached to a baby's clothes. A further Baby Garment is shown on the website www.lovemebaby.com.au and shows a baby swaddle that allows a baby to sleep in their natural position, with their elbows bent and their forearms in an upward position. However, if the dummy that is in the baby's mouth 25 whilst they are asleep is dislodged, this swaddling article does not assist the baby to retrieve a dummy themselves to allow the baby to self soothe and put themselves back to sleep. Furthermore, this article is a swaddling blanket, and not all parents wish to swaddle their babies whilst they are asleep. 30 One disadvantage of some of these prior art baby garments is that they are designed for the swaddling of the baby. As identified above, not all 7 child carers and parents wish to swaddle their babies, and particularly in relatively hot climates where there is a danger of the baby overheating. Therefore, it would also be desirable to provide a baby garment that 5 ameliorates or overcomes one or more known disadvantages of existing products and techniques or, at the least, it would be desirable to provide a baby garment that may provide a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 10 According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a garment for a baby comprising a torso portion having an opening therein to receive the body of the baby; first and second wing portions extending from opposed side edges of the torso portion, the first wing portion forming a first pocket area and the second wing portion forming a second pocket area; 15 the first and second pocket areas being adapted to respectively receive the baby's left and right forearms and hands, thereby allowing the baby to have its elbows bent and its forearms and hands positioned in an upwards orientation with respect to the baby's head; wherein the upwards orientation of the baby's forearms allows the baby to place the respective 20 ends of the first and second wing portions in its mouth; and characterised in that at least one of the wing portions includes a dummy attachment means thereon located at or near the end thereof to allow a dummy to be releasably secured to the wing portion. Preferably, the dummy attachment means includes a first fabric layer 25 that overlaps with a second fabric layer thereby forming an overlapping fabric region having an opening formed between the first and second fabric layers, which is adapted to receive and releasably secure a handle of the dummy therein but leaving the teat exposed and accessible. Preferably, the baby garment is manufactured from fabrics consisting 30 of 90% cotton and 10% spandex.
8 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 is a front view of a baby garment according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a back view of the baby garment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a baby garment in the form of a legless jumpsuit according to another embodiment of the present invention; 10 Figure 4 is a front view of a baby garment in the form of a jumpsuit according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a front view of a baby garment in the form of a sleeping bag according to a further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is an enlarged front view of the attachment means for a 15 dummy on one of the wings of the baby garment shown in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a front view of a baby wearing the baby garment shown in Figure 1 in a reverse position with the baby's arms in a downward orientation; Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the attachment means for 20 a dummy showing a dummy inserted therein on one of the wings of the baby garment shown in Figure 1; Figure 9 is a front view of a baby wearing the baby garment shown in Figure 1, in which the baby is sucking the dummy located on the left hand wing; 25 Figure 10 is a front view of a showing a dummy being inserted into the attachment means for a dummy on the left wing of the baby garment shown in Figure 1; and 9 Figure 11 is a front view showing a sleeping baby wearing the baby garment shown in Figure 1 with a dummy inserted into the attachment means for a dummy located on right hand wing. 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figures 1 and 2 show a baby garment 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The baby garment 10 comprises a torso portion 12 and two wing portions 14, 16 extending from the side regions of the torso portion. 10 The torso portion 12 has an opening 18 for receiving the body and torso of a baby, which is placed onto the baby garment 10 on their back. The torso portion 12 may also include a closing fastener, such as buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro@) or other suitable closing means, which would allow the baby to be secured in the baby garment 10, much 15 like a conventional jumpsuit. For example, Figures 3 and 4 show preferred embodiments of the present invention in the form of a jumpsuit, and Figure 5 shows another preferred embodiment in the form of a sleeping bag. Each of the wing portions 14, 16 forms a pocket area 20 for receiving one of the respective left and right arms of the baby. Preferably, the outer 20 edge regions 22, 24 of the wing portions 14, 16 are sealed or closed off to form this pocket area 20. The outer edge regions 22, 24 are preferably either sewed or glued together to form the pocket area 20. The baby garment 10 of the present invention is made of natural fabrics, such as cotton, silk or wool. However, synthetic fabrics, such as 25 spandex, elastin and various polyesters may also be used. In one preferred embodiment, the baby garment 10 is manufactured from fabrics consisting of 90% cotton and 10% spandex. Preferably, the baby garment 10 is manufactured from organic cotton/spandex fabrics.
10 The baby garment 10 is preferably manufactured by taking a first layer of fabric, which is cut to the desired size and shape (similar to the shape of a kidney) and sewing thereon two smaller fabric pieces, one on each end of the first layer of fabric and leaving a gap between the two 5 smaller pieces thus forming the wing portions 14, 16. The dummy attachment means 30, being the overlapping region of fabric 34 is then sewn onto an upper region of each of the wing portions 14, 16. In an alternative embodiment, the two wing portions 14, 16 may be pre-formed pocket areas 20 that are then attached to a separate piece of 10 fabric. However, as can readily be appreciated, this manufacturing process is much more involved and time consuming. However, in either case, a torso portion 12 having an opening 18 for receiving the body of a baby is formed between the two wing portions 14, 16. As best shown in Figures 6 and 7, at or near the top side region of 15 each of the wing portions 14, 16, there is provided a dummy attachment means 30, which allows for a dummy to be releasably attached to each of the wing portions. The dummy attachment means 30 is formed by an overlapping region of fabric 34 and allows a dummy 32 to be releasably secured by pushing the handle of the dummy through the gap in the 20 overlapping region of the fabric. The overlapping region of the fabric 34 includes two pieces of fabric, one being on top of the other to form an opening 36 for receiving the handle of a dummy 32 therein. In this way, the arrangement of the overlapping portion of fabric 34 of the dummy attachment means 30 allows a user (typically the parent or 25 carer of the baby in the baby garment 10 of the present invention) to releasably secure the handle of the dummy 32 in the opening 36 and leave the mouth guard, and more importantly the teat, of the dummy exposed and readily accessible. In other words, this overlapping region of fabric 34 provides a secure yet flexible release for the dummy 32. 30 In one embodiment, a dummy 32 is releasably secured with the dummy attachment means 30 on each of the wing portions 14, 16 such that 11 the dummy will detach from the overlapping region of the fabric 34 once the baby's mouth engages with the dummy teat and a small sucking force is applied by the baby on the dummy. In another embodiment, a dummy 32 is releasably secured with the 5 dummy attachment means 30 on each of the wing portions 14, 16 but the dummy will not typically detach from the overlapping region of the fabric 34 once the baby's mouth engages with the dummy teat and a small sucking force is applied to the dummy. In this embodiment, the baby will suck on the dummy 32 as shown in Figures 11 and 12. 10 As best shown in Figures 8 to 13, when a baby is fitted into the baby garment 10 of the present invention, the baby's arms are bent at the elbow and the baby is able to easily and comfortably raise their forearms towards their head. This is a more natural and comfortable sleeping position for most babies. 15 Also, the pockets areas 20 of the wing portions 14, 16 somewhat restrict the amount of movement available to the baby's arms and hands, which may also assist in preventing the baby from scratching themselves. This can be of a particular benefit to babies that suffer from heat rash, eczema or other skin irritations or dermatological conditions, where if the 20 baby is allowed to scratch their skin repeatedly, the skin may be irritated to the point where it begins to bleed, exacerbating the underlying skin ailments and further disrupting the sleep of the baby. In order to use the baby garment 10 of the present invention, the body of the baby is firstly positioned in the opening 18 of the baby garment 25 10. Then, in turn, each of the arms and hands of the baby are fitted into the pocket areas 20 of the wing portions 14, 16 such that the baby's elbows are bent and the forearms are in an upwards position. Optionally, the opening 18 of the baby garment 10 may be closed via closing means, such as buttons, zippers, hook and loop fasteners or the like. Finally, a dummy 32 is 30 releasably secured to one or both of the dummy attachment means 30 located on the wing portions 14, 16.
12 As shown in Figures 8 to 13, the baby has ready access to a dummy 32 and where dummies are releasably secured to both of the wing portions 14, 16, then the baby will be able to access a dummy with both their left and right hands. If no dummies 32 are releasably secured to the wing 5 portions 14, 16, then the baby will still be able to suckle on the edges of the baby garment, which cover the baby's hands in order to self soothe. Whilst the preferred dummy attaching means 30 is an overlapping region of fabric 34, in other embodiments that are not shown in the drawings, other suitable attaching means such as buttons, press studs or 10 fabric hook-and-loop (Velcro@) fasteners may also be used for attaching the dummies 32 to each of the wing portions 14, 16. In another embodiment of the invention the dummies 32 may be pre attached and integral with the wing portions 14, 16 of the baby garment 10. Also, whilst in one preferred embodiment of the baby garment 10 of 15 the present invention, the torso portion 12 of the sleeping garment only covers the upper torso of the baby, in another embodiment as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 in the accompanying drawings, the torso portion 12 extends over the whole body of the baby, including the lower limbs of the baby. 20 In another embodiment that is not shown in the accompanying drawings, the torso portion 12 of the baby garment is in the form of a full body swaddle. In yet another embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, a detachable cape 36 is also included in the baby garment 10 for protecting 25 the head of the baby and assisting in hair growth and decreasing the occurrence of bald spots on the baby's heads caused by friction between the baby's head and the bed whilst the baby is asleep. Whilst the baby garment 10 is primarily designed for use as a sleeping garment, it can also be used when the baby is awake, particularly 30 where the baby may have a skin irritation and repeatedly scratches 13 themselves. Indeed, the baby garment 10 may even be worn upside down, so that the baby's arms are in a downwards position. Of course, the advantage of the baby being able to replace their own dummy is lost when wearing the garment in this orientation, although the 5 garment will still provide a way to stop a baby from scratching themselves and can therefore still be useful. It will be apparent that obvious variations or modifications may be made which are in accordance with the spirit of the invention and which are intended to be part of the invention, and any such obvious variations or 10 modifications are therefore within the scope of the invention. Although the invention is described above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is not limited to those embodiments, but may be embodied in many other forms. In this specification, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the 15 term "comprising" has the non-exclusive meaning of the word, in the sense of "including at least" rather than the exclusive meaning in the sense of "consisting only of". The same applies with corresponding grammatical changes to other forms of the word such as "comprise", "comprises" and so on. 20 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The invention can be utilised in the clothing industry and particularly the baby clothing and garment industry.