Author Topic: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK  (Read 107281 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Samuel's mum

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 764
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 10636
  • Emma in London, UK
  • Location: London, UK
A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« on: November 05, 2006, 09:16:55 am »
I'd like to put this experience here as I think we can all learn from it:  It's from the La Leche league (breastfeeding organisation) board.

It is by the grace of God that my son is not dead tonight. I went to the store with DS taking a nap. His legs were cold so I covered him with a light blanket. DH was cleaning up the living room. He said that he just had this sudden urge to check on DS. When he went in there the blanket was wrapped really tightly around his neck and head. He was flailing but not making a SINGLE NOISE. DH quickly unwrapped him and his lips were blue. He smacked him really hardly and made him cry. He started breathing.

He said he just held him so close and cried. I fully believe that it was the Holy Spirit that told my husband to go check on him. I cannot wrap my mind around why the hell I put a blanket in the bed with him, I know better than that. It blows my mind beyond comprehension to think that a few more minutes and my son would not have made it. I shudder at the thought. I've finally stopped crying (though the guilt won't go away for a while) and just wanted to send a reminder. Don't put your LO's down to bed with a blanket until they are old enough to sit up I guess. He can roll over and I didn't think it was a problem.

Just be careful. Please.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2012, 00:09:31 am by aisling »
<img src="http://b5.lilypie.com/vpkWp1.png" alt="Lilypie 5th Birthday Ticker" border="0"  />
<img src="http://b1.lilypie.com/iPGj0.png" alt="Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker" border="0"  />

Offline SallyDom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 14
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 667
  • Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2006, 14:42:50 pm »
Oh my god I feel quite sick after reading that. I usually use a sleeping bag but if Dominic is asleep when I take him to bed (if fallen asleep in pram or whatever) I cover him with a blanket. Never Again.
Thank you Emma, I really appreciate you giving us this
x
Dominic Luke 29/03/06
Isaac (Zac) James 14/11/07

Offline texasmom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 20
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 809
  • Location:
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2006, 02:13:39 am »
scared me to death.  i always use a blanket for naps b/c he is in a onsie, and i worry about him being cold. 

is that right - when they can sit up it's ok to use one? 

thank you so much for the info. 

Offline Fife_Mum

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 23
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 541
  • Location: Fife, Scotland
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2006, 10:06:07 am »
Very worrying but I'm glad there was a happy ending. But, what would you use before that age? I used blankets with both of mine from newborn... feet-to-foot and blankets tucked in at bottom & sides. I thought there was a minimum age for sleeping bags - or do you get tiny ones.


Vicky - Proud Mum to:
Fraser 29/03/2004,
Arwen 24/09/2005,
Sophie 20/11/2007

Offline SallyDom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 14
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 667
  • Location: Yorkshire, England
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2006, 20:25:47 pm »
Yup my little one was in a sleeping bag from about 14 weeks, you can get them in 0-6months, 6-12 etc. I didn't use one from newborn though cos Dom liked to be swaddled and didn't want him to get too hot with sleeping bag and blanket
Dominic Luke 29/03/06
Isaac (Zac) James 14/11/07

Offline Spectra

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 41
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1888
  • Mommy To Sidney And Hudson
  • Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2006, 02:44:58 am »
My baby is almost 10 months old now and loves to cuddle with a receiving blanket to fall asleep. I always take it out as soon as she falls asleep, but is that too young still? How old should they be really to be able to have a blanket in bed all night?
Melanie
<img src="http://lb4f.lilypie.com/fSK6m3.png" width="400" height="80" border="0" alt="Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers" />
<img src="http://b2.lilypie.com/pNp6m4.png" alt="Lilypie 2nd Birthday Ticker" border="0"  />

Offline Bensmama

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 1
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 56
  • Location:
swaddling?
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2006, 22:48:49 pm »
Do you think the danger is the same when you swaddle?

Offline Tuty

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 164
  • Location: La Jolla, CA
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2006, 03:41:09 am »
Wow, this is so scary! Do you have any idea how old is her boy?
My DD is almost 9 months and I cover her at night before I go to sleep (it gets really cold at night now). Unfortunately the AC is located right by her room and makes a lot of noise. I'm using a thick blanket and tuck it under her arms so I don't think it can get wrapped over her neck (I definitely hope not!) I'd better get the quiet fans.
At what age can they safely sleep with a blanket?

Offline leticia

  • New, But Posting Steadily!
  • **
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 98
  • Location:
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2006, 19:19:07 pm »
Hi, I have the same question, at what age would it be safe to cover them, my lo is 10 mths .

Wilsmon

  • Guest
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2006, 19:37:09 pm »
I don't know what age is appropriate but I have always just layered my kids instead of using blankets.  Mainly b/c they seem to just kick them off anyway and don't know how to pull them back up until a lot older - seems my daughter was at least three before she would wake up at night and put blankets back on by herself.

Anyway, right now my ds is 22 months and I put on a t-shirt, two piece long sleeved pajamas and then a blanket sleeper.  I guess my theory is that the blanket sleeper is his "blanket" that he can't kick off.  However, my dh did also cover him with a light blanket last night (by this age I think it is ok). 

DS has had a blanket for a "lovey" since he was 6 months though and has always slept with that (actually both mine have blankets as loveys).  I think that is different than covering them with a blanket because as they roll a blanket used for cover will wrap around instead of a blanket they sleep with as a lovey which is generally balled up and cuddled with.   Just my thoughts.

Offline Tuty

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 164
  • Location: La Jolla, CA
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2006, 02:49:41 am »
Hey,
What do you mean by a blanket sleeper? Do you refer to a sleeping sack?
DD keeps standing up in bed, so a sleeping sack is not safe for her.
Tuty

Offline Tuty

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 164
  • Location: La Jolla, CA
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2006, 06:37:44 am »
DD is at the stage where standing up is what mostly gets her excited and with a sleeping sack she keeps falling and banging her head on the crib's bars (ouch!).

Offline Samuel's mum

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 764
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 10636
  • Emma in London, UK
  • Location: London, UK
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2006, 17:32:28 pm »
The baby from the LLL post was born 6/5/2006. And that post was from early November.
The mum is from the US so that means 5th June (We do it the other way in the UK). So he was a day shy of 5 months when the incident happened.

She says this later on the same thread:

Quote (selected)
I have finally calmed down and stop checking on him. He's dressed warm enough so that he doesn't need a blanket. His sheets are pulled tight, and he's sound asleep with his fingers in his mouth. About an hour ago he woke up screaming hysterically and I thought DH and I were going to kill eachother trying to get to him fast enough.

As I sat down to nurse him I was reminded just how much I love this child and couldn't stop thanking the Lord for sparing him. Its pretty amazing. His eyes were closed and he was very tired while he was nursing, DH at my feet...but he just unlatched, opened his eyes, looked right at both of us and smiled the biggest, hugest smile ever...as if to say "I'm alright you two, relax" DH almost lost it again and had to leave the room.

Thank you all for your kind responses. We are heading to bed now and are thankful for the companionship and encouragement you all have offered us.

IMHO I think he was perhaps at the dangerous stage of being very wriggly and mobile but not quite strong enough to sort himself out properly.

I would agree with Stacy that standing in a sleep sack is not a problem. Lots of people use them up to 3 yrs. Doesn't everyone go through a banging head on the cot stage with or without a sleeping bag?
I'm not sure what the alternative to a sleep sac is. I know that millions of babies sleep with blankets and are fine but I guess first baby blankets are normally sold with tiny holes in them for a reason.

<img src="http://b5.lilypie.com/vpkWp1.png" alt="Lilypie 5th Birthday Ticker" border="0"  />
<img src="http://b1.lilypie.com/iPGj0.png" alt="Lilypie 1st Birthday Ticker" border="0"  />

Wilsmon

  • Guest
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2006, 19:38:41 pm »
The blanket sleeper I am referring to is like a sleep sack only it has legs and is footed.  Basically, fleece, footed pajamas with a zipper front.  They are very common - I am sure you have all seen them. I buy them big so I can layer.

Offline tinachris

  • New & Learning The Ropes!
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 2
  • Posts: 11
  • Location:
Re: A reminder on blanket safety - a bit scary but ends OK
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2006, 22:25:31 pm »
Over here we are told to use sleeping bags only. We use them from birth on, you can buy them for very little babies already. In the winter we have snow and it is really cold, but our baby boy had never problems because of being cold (when I think it is really freezing I put him extra socks over his pyjama under his sleeping bag). As I am usually quite frozen I drove my DH mad during last winter when we came home with our baby from hospital and I checked him every time I woke up whether he is too cold. After 2 weeks we put a thermometer in the sleeping room ;)

A friend told me that her boy woke up once a couple of times during the night till she figured out he was too cold then she put him an extra body on under the sleeping bag. So obviously babies wake up when they are too cold.

Also getting the sleeping bag out of the room for naps and night sleep and putting LO into the sleeping bag is part of our bedtime routine now.

And by now (he is now 11 mths old) he is all over the place in the bed (he never liked being swaddled) - so we are quite glad that we use a sleeping back only and no blanket.

Martina