Adaptive Infant Positioning

Abstract

Systems, methods and instrumentalities are disclosed for adaptive infant positioning to reliably maintain an infant of any size in any position. An infant positioning device may comprise, for example, one or more barrier restraints and infant restraints with or without accessory restraints. A barrier may form-fit an infant in any position (e.g. without gap fillers). A barrier restraint may resist barrier movement, e.g., by underlaying an infant and overlaying and tucking under a barrier. An infant restraint may resist infant movement, e.g., by overlaying an infant and tucking under a barrier. An accessory restraint may restrain accessories, e.g., for substrate adaptation, height adjustment, position-sculpting, comfort pads or devices and/or medical devices. Adaptive infant positioning may reliably maintain infants in proper developmental positions, reduce repositioning corrections, simplify positioning and repositioning procedures, reduce positioning errors, reduce handling and aural disruptions, reduce supplemental devices and procedures and/or reduce inventory space and costs.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 an infant positioning device configured to position, reposition and maintain a term or pre-term infant of any size in a plurality of positions, the infant positioning device comprising:   a barrier restraint that resists movement of a barrier when the infant moves, the barrier being formable independent of the infant positioning device to fit a term or a pre-term infant of any size in a plurality of positions; and   an infant restraint that restrains movement by the infant.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier restraint comprises a pliable layer that (i) overlays and tucks under the barrier and (ii) underlays the infant, and wherein the infant restraint overlays the infant and tucks under the barrier. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the infant restraint comprises a plurality of upper body restraints attached to the barrier restraint and configured to restrain the infant by crossing over the infant and tucking under the barrier. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein at least a first one of the plurality of upper body restraints is configured to be joined to at least a second one of the plurality of upper body restraints. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the first one of the plurality of upper body restraints comprises an opening to feed at least the second one of the plurality of upper body restraints through the opening to join the first and second straps together. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the infant restraint comprises a lower body restraint configured to restrain the infant by folding over at least one of the infant's legs or abdomen and tucking under the barrier. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the lower body restraint comprises a flap extending or attached to the barrier restraint by less than a width of the barrier restraint. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the infant restraint comprises a head restraint configured to restrain the infant by folding over the infant's head and tucking under the barrier. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the infant restraint comprises elastic material that simulates a womb by allowing the infant's limb to push out on the elastic material and rebound while remaining securely held in position by the infant restraint. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein a tucked portion of at least one of the barrier restraint and the infant restraint comprises a friction or grip material that resists movement by causing friction with at least one of the barrier above the tucked portion and a material under the tucked portion. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the barrier, wherein the barrier comprises at least one of a flat base, a weighted base, a base wider than a top of the barrier, and a friction or grip base.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , the infant positioning device further comprising:
 an accessory restraint that resists movement of an accessory.   
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 arranging an infant barrier according to at least one of a size and a first position of an infant;   arranging an infant positioning device independent of the arranging the infant barrier;   restraining, by the infant positioning device, the infant in the first position; and   restraining, by the infant positioning device, the infant barrier from movement.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the arranging of the infant barrier comprises:
 arranging the infant barrier to form fit the infant barrier to the infant's size and the first position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the restraining of the infant comprises:
 placing the infant in the first position over the infant positioning device; and   restraining the infant by crossing a first infant restraint attached to the infant positioning device over the infant and tucking the infant restraint under the infant barrier.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 joining, to the first infant restraint, a second infant restraint attached to the infant positioning device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the joining comprises:
 feeding the second infant restraint through an opening in the first infant restraint.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the restraining of the infant further comprises at least one of the following:
 restraining the infant by folding a lower body restraint over the infant's legs or abdomen and tucking a portion of the lower body restraint under the infant barrier; and   restraining the infant by folding a head restraint over the infant's head and tucking a portion of the head restraint under the infant barrier.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the restraining of the infant barrier comprises:
 tucking at least a portion of the infant positioning device overlaying the infant barrier under the infant barrier.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 repositioning the infant from the first position to a second position by at least one of:
 repositioning the infant barrier independent of the infant positioning device; and 
 repositioning the infant positioning device independent of the infant barrier. 
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the repositioning of the infant from the first position to a second position comprises:
 moving the infant barrier to fit the infant in the second position;   restraining, by the infant positioning device, the infant in the second position; and   restraining, by the infant positioning device, the infant barrier from movement.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the repositioning of the infant from the first position to the second position comprises:
 causing the infant to move from the first position to the second position by moving the infant positioning device without handling the infant.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 picking up the infant by picking up the infant positioning device selectively with and without the infant barrier.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 restraining, by the infant positioning device, at least one accessory comprising at least one of a comfort accessory, a medical device accessory, a substrate adaptation accessory, a height adjustment accessory and a position-sculpting accessory.   
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 an infant barrier adaptable to form-fit a term or a pre-term infant of any size in a plurality of positions, the infant barrier being formable independent of an infant positioning device;   an infant positioning device configured to position, reposition and maintain a term or pre-term infant of any size in a plurality of positions, the infant positioning device comprising:
 a barrier restraint that resists movement of the infant barrier when the infant moves; and 
 an infant restraint that resists movement by the infant. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , the infant positioning device further comprising:
 an accessory restraint that restrains an accessory.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 the accessory.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the accessory comprises:
 at least one of a comfort accessory, a medical device accessory, a substrate adaptation accessory, a height adjustment accessory and a position-sculpting accessory.