The Baby Blanket---A Necessity or a Nuisance

In this day and age of polar fleece and cute little baby caps and clothing, does the infant child really need a blanket? Some blankets are big and bulky and make it hard to wrap a baby in them without losing him in all the folds. Others are too small. They also slip and slide and hardly ever stay in place. Blankets have even been known to smother an infant. One time a friend had taken care of my baby son for the day. We made plans to meet along the road on my way home. There was a howling blizzard and he was all wrapped up and covered with a heavy blanket when she handed him to me. When I got back into my car and unwrapped him, I discovered that his head was on the wrong end of the bundle which we had been carrying so carefully. Now that couldn’t have been good!  Is all this wrapping up really necessary?

Since the beginning of time, baby blankets have been made out of every material known to man–from mosses and leaves to buckskins and furs. It’s a natural instinct in all of us animals to want to protect our babies and keep them warm. Have you ever noticed how a dog or a cat will curl up around their young, lick them, and keep them cozy? Even a mother hen will take her chicks under her wings and bring them next to her. I grew up hearing the story of my aunt’s birth in 1908. She was born at home on the farm and weighed only 1 ½ pounds. They put her into a cotton lined cigar box which sat on the oven door of the old wood cookstove. Aunt Anne lived to be 93 years old!

There are many types of baby blankets in use today. These include receiving blankets, crib blankets, and security blankets. The receiving or “swaddling” blanket is the first covering a newborn baby will have. This blanket is usually made of soft, lightweight, cotton flannel which is easy to wrap tightly around the baby. Swaddling gives the newborn the snug, secure feeling of the womb. Evidence suggests that swaddling may help reduce the symptoms of colic. Researchers believe that swaddling may also lessen the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), because it prevents babies from rolling onto their stomachs. With what we now know of SIDS, it is safer for young babies to sleep on their backs rather than on their tummies. Years ago we were told that sleeping on the tummy would give the baby a sense of security and make it easier for him to get rid of gases which can cause colic or upset stomach. It is important for babies to feel just as snug and secure on their backs as they would on their tummies. We can do this by placing the baby’s hands in a natural position over the chest and securely wrapping him in a cloth wrap. Swaddling helps keep the baby from fidgeting and jerking as they settle and sleep. Once the infant is asleep his startle reflex is less likely to awaken him between sleep cycles. This makes a longer, more settled sleep for the baby and therefore helps mom and dad sleep better, too.

Baby security blankets come in many sizes, colors, weights, and textures. The term “security blanket” gained in popularity when Charles M. Schulz put the character “Linus” in his Peanuts cartoon strip. As you probably know, Linus drags his trusty blanket around with him wherever he goes. Linus isn’t a baby, but a little boy who feels comfortable with his blankee. A newborn usually can’t tell one blanket from another as long as it’s soft. By the time the baby gets 6-12 months old, he has his routine and certain items he likes and others he dislikes. Parents are the ones who have given him this routine and the items to have and hold. The baby by this time is familiar with certain objects—many times a soft toy or a blanket (sometimes both). These items provide comfort at nap time or bedtime and make it much easier for the child to sleep contentedly. When travelling and sleeping in strange places, the familiar smell and feel of the security items help the baby rest comfortably. Some mothers have duplicate blankets so that there is a chance to wash the dirty one. This doesn’t always work and sometimes the security blanket can get real scuzzy. I’ve seen a 10 year old girl who keeps a little satin corner of her ragged security blanket hidden in her pocket at school, so that the other kids won’t think she’s a baby. But that little piece makes her feel confident and secure. Teenagers (especially girls) like to take their soft blankets to snuggle up in on the bus ride home after a tiring sporting event.

A crib blanket is usually larger. Some are fleecy and others are quilted. But either way, they are soft and cozy. Some babies like the fuzziness and others like the satiny feeling. A keepsake blanket can be any blanket, but many come with the child’s name and birth date embroidered on them. This makes the blanket especially personal for the youngster and also makes a very welcome and useful gift.

BabyBlanketBabe.com is a website which offers a wide variety of baby blankets. Most of them are available with personalization. They also have a line of smaller security blankets that are handy for travel. These feature an animal head, cozy softness and the satin edge that many young ones like to rub against their innocent little faces when they get sad or sleepy.