Infant anti-flail garment

Abstract

A sleeper garment for an infant employs an anti-flail receptacle for mitigating a startling sensation from a flailing reflex that is inherent in development. The receptacle occupies the sleeve region and provides a limited region of movement to accommodate a controlled degree of movement, but constrains the movement to avoid startling a sleeping infant awake. The receptacle has a semicircular or polygonal shape that allows hand and elbow flexure, and a elastic mesh periphery to provide an elastic, cushioned response toward the end of the allowed range of movement as the periphery of the receptacle stretches. The receptacle defines a periphery from the shoulder toward the torso. This provides a more settling response to the flail reflex than a tight swaddle, which restricts almost all movement, and may be combined with pressure accessories to provide further soothing sensations simulating a caregiver touch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An infant sleeping garment, comprising:
 a textile body formed from a basal fabric adapted to engage an infant wearer of the garment;   a head opening at an uppermost region of the textile body;   sleeve openings in the textile body facing opposed directions adjacent the head opening;   opposed arm receptacles flanking the head opening and sized for receiving respective arms of the infant such that each arm receptacle encloses a respective arm, each of the opposed arm receptacles surrounding the respective sleeve opening;   an attachment securing each of the arm receptacles to the textile body and unaligned with the sleeve openings; and   a lowermost region of the textile body extending to a portion of the textile body longitudinally opposed from the uppermost region and forming a closed volume for encapsulating legs of the infant.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the arm receptacles define an overlapping region with the textile body between the attachment and the sleeve opening. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1  an attachment securing each of the opposed arm receptacles to the textile body, the attachment defining a circumference larger than a circumference of the sleeve opening. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the sleeve openings are discontinuous with the arm receptacles. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein the attachment is a detachable closure, the arm receptacles separable from the textile body via the detachable closure. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein the detachable closure is a zipper 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein each arm receptacle forms a closed volume around the sleeve opening. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1  further comprising a closure on a front of the textile body extending from the head opening and between the sleeve openings for providing entry and exit of the infant from the garment. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1  further comprising an elongated strip and extending along an outer perimeter of the arm receptacle, and having greater elasticity than the basal fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 9  wherein the elongated strip further comprises an undistorted position and an expanded position, the elongated strip achieving the undistorted position when not engaged by the infant, such that the undistorted position disposes the arm receptacle below a horizontal line defined by an uppermost limit of the head opening. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10  wherein the uppermost limit of the heat opening defines a narrowest width of the textile body. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 10  wherein the lowermost region most distal from the neck opening defines a widest width of the textile body. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a chest pressure accessory attached to the textile body between the arm receptacles, the chest pressure accessory having a greater mass than the basal fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more abdominal pressure accessories attached to the textile body below the arm receptacles, each abdominal pressure accessory having a greater mass than the basal fabric.