Importance

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Abstract

A colicky infant's vestibular and auditory centers are stimulated mechanically to simulate womb conditions to ease the transition from womb to postgestational life. In this soothing method an infant is placed in a crib with a mattress and having padded protective sides assuring appropriate positioning on the mattress, to which is imparted a regular, repetitive low frequency sine wave motion progressively traveling longitudinally thereof with simultaneous vibrations, whereby the infant experiences gentle, low frequency, regular, progressive, traveling sine wave motion plus hearing and sensing subdued vibrations like sensations previously experienced in the womb. The protective padded sides encircling the infant offer a warm enclosure while subduing or muffling exterior sounds. The illustrative apparatus includes an upper, mattress-supporting layer having a longitudinal series of transverse slats, gently moved up and down by motor-driven cams providing a distributed drive producing regular, repetitive, progressively traveling sine wave motion simulating peristalsis effects of an intenstine near a uterine wall. This support layer is also driven by vibrators simulating inter-uterine pulsations of a mother's blood, heartbeat, body movements, etc. A one-inch thick foam mattress covering the slats provides the longitudinally traveling sine wave motion undulating up and down about 2 to 7 millimeters (preferably 3.5 to 6.5 mm) at about 7 to 20 cycles per minutes, optimally about 8 to 12 cycles per minute, with wave length from about 24 inches to about 3 inches, and presently preferred from about 18 inches to about 4 inches.

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First Claim