Blankets - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

rouge · 02-07-2005, 06:44 AM

I have read in many places that you are not supposed to put your baby to sleep with a blanket. I have read so many posts where moms are using blankets. Is this ok? I have always used a sleepsack. I figured it was safer and would not get kicked off at night. At what age is a blanket considered safe? DS will eventually grow out of his sleepsack. He is now 16 months.

Kiera1595 · 02-07-2005, 07:03 AM

At 16 months you are more than safe using a blanket. Yes, they kick them off at this age. It's dangerous when they are very tiny and unable to get them off of their faces if they get covered...at 16 months your son wouldn't have a problem

kitkat77 · 02-17-2005, 10:37 AM

I have never heard of this before! I have a 10 year old and a 4 month old, and covered both from day one! I swaddled both until they began squirming out (about 1 month) and then switched over to a blanket. I have never had any problems -- they were either too young to be able to move their arms so there was no worry, or able to move their arms and thus uncover their face. I use light blankets only (receiving blankets) for naps, and my baby is cocooned in a comforter at night. If anything, he kicks it off!

siren1024 · 02-17-2005, 12:35 PM

I've been using light receiving blankets my sons whole life. He always kicked out of a swaddle, but I would cover him below the armpits if it was chilly. He took to a "blankie" that he has to have for every nap and night now, and he totally cocoons in that thing every night. At 16 months, a blanket is definitely fine for your son.

Mine never stays covered, though, so I keep him in long john type PJ's every night. Usually the blanket just ends up all wrapped around his upper body or wadded and stuffed under him.

I agree, blankets are only a problem for a little one who doesn't have the head strength to keep from suffocating. And then only if they are heavy blankets and/or placed too close to the face.

ahall · 02-18-2005, 08:32 AM

Hi ladies,

My daughter is 6 months old and I had never heard that you dont use a blanket around babies, until I was watching TV one night while she was in her bassinett. She started to wake and was kicking her legs, well, she kicked the blanket upwards and grabbed it with both hands and started showing it into her mouth (along with everything else that passes her mouth

), then she turned over on her belly, blanket still in her face and literally trapped herself. Her arms were pinned under her and her face was stuffed into this blanket. She tried to lift her head up, but couldn't lift it much. I grabbed her up immediately, my heart racing. I was glad I had witnessed what I did, had I not been in the room I dont want to think about what condition she would have been in when I did finally go to bed. Now, I keep her in warm pajamas at night.....no blankets or covers, nothing in the crib at all, and keep her room temperature at a comfortable level. My advice is to keep all blankets away from the little ones.