Lateral Neck Support for Infants

Abstract

A lateral neck support meant to prevent an infant's head from tilting to one side in order to treat or prevent Torticollis and other abnormalities of the neck. The neck support is formed from soft pliable fabric including a somewhat cylindrical pillow-like support element in the center with a fabric strap extending from each end of the support element. The support element sits on top of the shoulder, beside the neck. The straps extend diagonally across the front and back of the torso and secure together under the opposite arm. The lateral neck support prevents undesirable head tilting to one side without being too restrictive for infant use.

Claims

1. A lateral neck support meant to prevent an infant's head from tilting to one side in order to treat or prevent Torticollis and other abnormalities of the neck, comprising: soft pliable fabric sleeve including a somewhat cylindrical pillow-like support element in the center with the remainder of said fabric extending from each end forming elongated tabs that secure together by means of a fastening element by overlapping the ends of said tabs.

2. The lateral neck support of claim 1 wherein: said support element comprises a pillow body comprising natural filler, foam, or synthetic filler, having a seam to the right and left of the filler to hold the filler in place therefore forming the pillow-like support element.

3. The lateral neck support of claim 1 wherein: said lateral neck support comprise of two elongated flat tabs formed from said fabric that extend, one from each end of said support element, long enough to encircle an infant's torso.

4. The tabs of claim 3 wherein: said tabs comprise a hook and loop fastener element near the distal end of each of said tabs that allows for adjustment when said tabs are attached.

5. A method of treating and preventing Torticollis and other abnormalities of the neck comprising: A lateral neck support suitable for use by and infant that can be worn on the body for extended periods of time, comprising of soft pliable fabric comprising a center support element that is worn on an infant's shoulder, next to the neck and held in place by tabs which extend from each end of the support element and attach together under the infant's opposite arm by an adjustability enabling fastening element, wherein the support element is suitable in size to prevent an infant from tilting their head without restricting movement of the head in an undesirable way and has the ability to be used in pairs to promote correct body positioning.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention

[0013] FIG. 2 is a view of the present invention with the side tabs attached

[0014] FIG. 3 is a view of the present invention being worn on the body.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention

[0016] FIG. 5 shows an anticipated way to wear two of the present invention for body positioning purposes

[0017] FIG. 6 shows another anticipated way to wear two of the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention is a lateral neck support for infants. It is purposed to be worn by an infant to support one side of the neck. The present invention is designed to treat or prevent Torticollis and other abnormalities of the neck in infants. The present invention comprises of soft, pliable, possibly slightly stretchy decorative fabric, the long sides of the fabric are seamed together to form a tube-like structure. The center of the tube may be stuffed with natural filler or synthetic filler or rolled up batting or foam. The fabric is seamed on each end of the filler to hold the filler in place and form a somewhat cylindrical shaped support element 110. The size of the support element will vary according to the size requirement of the infant wearing it. The remaining fabric is sewn flat to form tabs or straps that extend from each end of the center support element 111. The length of the tabs will be determined by the size of the infant wearing it and should be approximately equal in length. The tabs should be long enough to fit snugly around the infant's torso. A fastening element of some kind, such as hook and loop, is attached to the distal end of each tab so the ends attach to each other 112. A side view of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a view of the present invention with the fabric tabs attached to each other 111. The side tabs should secure together in a way that allows them to overlap in an adjustable manner 112.

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a view of the present invention being worn by an individual with the support structure 110 on the shoulder beside the neck and the fabric tabs 111 diagonally crossing the body and secured 112 together under the arm. The present invention could also be worn on the other side of the body.

[0021] FIG. 5 shows an anticipated way to wear two of the present invention as to further reposition the body of the wearer if further repositioning is necessary. This is to demonstrate versatility of the present invention. Physical therapy treatment for Torticollis includes positioning recommendations. In an infant who has not yet developed adequate muscle strength, tilting the head to the side can cause the entire spine to curve causing asymmetry of the body. There may be times that it is beneficial to wear two of the present invention at the same time with one around the waist and as well one on the shoulder. Wearing two of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5 can promote proper body posture of an infant.

[0022] FIG. 6 shows another anticipated way to wear two of the present invention. Torticollis is not the only condition in which an infant suffers from abnormalities of the neck. Infants with other conditions may benefit from wearing two of the present invention together by placing one support element 110 on each side of the neck and overlapping the fabric tabs 111 in an “X” pattern around the torso. Wearing two of the present invention as shown in FIG. 6 is a minimally restrictive, gentle way to support the head of an infant in an upright position. Wearing two of the present invention in this way could be beneficial for an infant who suffers from low muscle tone.