Just Curious About Blankets

i started giving my daughter a blanket at 6 months (the chance of sids drops dramatically after that). she loves it and immediatly pulls it over her head to sleep and cuddle with it. both of my daughters would pull something over their heads when they sleep. Never been a problem. If he is old enough to roll over then I wouldn't worry about it.

I had never heard that about a blanket before. My daughter had her favorite (blankie) and it was crib size, and I could take her anywhere, and she was content, Her dad and I went bowling even once and she was content as could be, because she had it. I wish the other kids ( three more) would of had one, as they would get fussy etc.

If you think you son will sleep better with a blanket then I would do it but if it will not make a diffrence I would not.

It has to do with statistics.. do you remember when he was 6 months old, and you expected him to be able to sit up unsupported? The fact is, at 6 months old, 70% of babies can sit up unsupported. At 9 months, about 30% have the head and neck control necessary to be able to sustain a forward facing crash... and yet, the guidelines say a year AND 20 lbs.. why did they add that in there? Because at a year, some babies are still tiny, and they're not ready - and when it comes to a car accident, death is the penalty for turning them before they're ready - so they're looking for a 99% readiness, not 30 or 70.

Most babies could probably pull a blanket off their head - or would wake up to one covering their face - by 9 months. But for the rest of them, the guideline says a year - because, again, the penalty is death - and when you're writing guidelines like those, you really REALLY want to cover your rear end.. y'know?

So - can your baby roll over both ways, sit up, and pull something off of his head (like in peek a boo)? Are you convinced HE is safe doing it? Follow your conscience.

S.

My son has carried a blanket around with him for as long as I remember.

I've allowed all three of my kids to sleep with them...even covering them up with one on chilly nights since they were born.

I do check on them more when they are little to make sure it's not wrapped around them...but most of the time it's either in the floor or pushed down around their feet.

In reading this I'm wondering if the general public isn't turning into paranoid fanatics. (and no, that's not directed at you)

I'm just wondering why it is, as parents, we rely so heavily on the opinions of others (who don't even know us or our child) and books to tell US who what and where about our child.

If he wants a blanket, give him a blanket.

Good luck to you.

I have never heard not give a child a blanket to sleep with. I have a 24 hr day care and provide all children blankets. They do not want things hanging from cribs and no bumpers and I can see a lot of bedding they can get hung up in but one blanket give me a break. We check in on our children all the time right? So give your child a blanket. Small maybe but not a huge thing he can get caught up in. Take care. I swear today they have parents so scared to let their children be children. Fear of so many things. Like if they drank anything but bottled water they will die. What a crock. Take care God Bless and do not worry so much. Love your child but not make them afraid to breathe. G. W

A.,

I always let my girls sleep with a blanket and a pillow, even before the age of 1. The pillow was a firm one and lightweight, and it was never an issue. They are both "blanket babies," meaning they LOVE their blankies and now, at the ages of 4 and 7, still have to have a baby blanket to sleep with, along with bedcovers!

I think it's best to do what YOU think is right for your child; it's nice to have "expert" advice as a guideline, but ultimately, it's all an opinion anyway (in general). Just keep an eye on him for awhile as he sleeps with a blanket and see what you think. If it seems safe, great; if he gets tangled up in it or gets it over his head, then wait a while longer.

You make a great point about why is 1 year old the magic moment!!! :)

Well things have changed quite a bit. When my son was a baby, I would try to cover him with a blanket only to have him push it off and expose his stomach. To keep him covered, I bought those snap around two piece jps with the rubber soles to keep him warm. He wore this type of jp until he was about 3 and by the time he was 2 he would keep a blanket around his waist. Use your gut feeling and judgement about when to cover and uncover your child as you are the only one to know him. The other S.

There is no "magic number", the age one is merely a suggestion. The reasoning is that by the age on 1 yr they have almost full range of movement with their arms and feet and can remove the blanket should it cover their face. Check with your pediatrician and get their suggestion.

I've never heard of not giving a child a blanket til they are one? My kids had blankets on them, always, from the time they were born. Not a huge, heavy thing, but at least a recieving blanket. As long as they are able to lift their head, move their arms and legs, and pull it off if it gets on their face if they don't want it there, its ok. Heck, all my kids sleep with the blanket over their head now, they like it that way. At almost a year, that baby should be fine with a blanket, I'm sure he's moving around quite well and can play peek-a-boo with a blanket, so I'm sure he can sleep with one.

I havent ever heard of waiting until they are one year old. My son is 17 months and has had a blanket since he was probably 1 month old. I just always made sure it was a knitted blanket that had hole designs throughout so if he wrapped it around his head he would still be able to breath. His blanket now is his lovey and most important thing to him to make him feel safe. "They" say that as long as your baby can hold his/her head up and move around or roll over that you have nothing to worry about.

I'm with the minority here. My son did not get a blanket until he was 2 and he actually only started keeping a blanket on him this year (he is 5 now). I guess thankfully he is hot natured and doesn't need/want a blanket. My daughter is 13 months and I have no plans to give her a blanket anytime soon. My thoughts are - why risk it?

-L.

Ok, I guess I have a really different opinion than most here...

My opinion is why give a blanket, that potentially could cause a problem, to a child before they need it. My son (20 months) wears blanket sleepers. He stays warm, and I don't have to worry about the blanket. When it gets to a point that he needs a blanket, then he will get one.

Just my 2 cents!

My personal opinion is I think they say one because by the age 1 most kids are rolling over and pushing up whre their maybe a few infants who are not, so they say 1 to be safe. My son has been sleeping with a pillow and blanket since he was rolling over. My son has been doing alot of things they say not to do. Grant it he seems more advanced than other infants he was rolling over at 2 weeks where some dont do it for a month or two. I think it depends on the parent and the child. If you feel like your child is doing good and is going to be ok with a blanket I don't see the harm in it mainly now its getting colder.

T.

I have given my almost 7 month old a blanket to sleep with for several months. The important thing to me is that it is not a heavy blanket. I rotate between 2 blankets that were handmade that have holes in them so if they cover her face she can still breathe. I still try to keep it away from her face and always check her before I go to sleep or anytime I hear noise on the monitor I look at it to see if she is in an ok position. I waited a long time to put the bumpers in her crib so she would not suffocate in them but the blankets have always seemed to be fine.

I was worried about that too with my first child. So I got a very loosely woven crochet type blanket to get him started. That way even if something happened, it still wouldn't cut him off completely. Ironically, he wouldn't have it. He refused to sleep with a blanket or a pillow until he was around 2. He spent a year just throwing them off his bed the second we gave it to him. But anyway, if you are worried, try a crochet blanket. Good luck. My daughter is also about to turn one in a few weeks and I will probably do the same thing.

I agree that there's nothing magic about the first birthday, it's just a conservative guideline for when almost all babies are ready, when really some are ready earlier. We started earlier with my DD. Like the earlier poster recommended, we started with a lightweight knit blanket that my aunt made for us--it had enough holes in it that, if it did end up over DD's face, she would still be able to breathe. We learned with that that if the blanket DID end up over her face, or tangled around her in an uncomfortable way, she would DEFINITELY wake up and let us know about it! So we actually went back to waiting a bit longer, not because it was unsafe for her, but because WE didn't want to get woken up for blanket re-adjustment 3 times a night!

Like the earlier poster said, if your son can move himself around and pull a blanket off of his head (try this for peek-a-boo when he's awake), then he's fine. Also, if, like my DD, he'll holler whenever he's uncomfortable, you also will know that he's safe. If, like my DD, he tends to get tangled and holler, I still recommend the "sleep sacks." At 21 mos my DD still wears an XL one, and LOVES it. Much to my surprise, she can walk around the house with her feet in the sack--she just loves how warm and cozy it makes her. GL!

I have never heard that before! My three children (now ages 20, 23, and 27) and my two grandsons (ages 3 and 2) have had blankets in their beds from the time they were born. I don't lay down without one, and can't imagine putting my child down without one. That is one of the best comforts anyone can have. Give your son his blanket!

The older they get the less at risk they are for SIDS. I started giving my first a blanket when she was around 7-8 months or so. Whenever she started being able to turnover really well. I really can't remember what age that was; however, she was less than one. She slept much better with a blanket so we continued to provide her one. I would go with whatever the recommendations say.

My son will be one in a few weeks. He has been sleeping with 2 to 3 blankets for a couple of months now. He curls up to them and sometimes uses them as a pillow. he has been perfectly fine. I never was worried.

There is no real magic number, it's just a suggestion/guideline. I was very paranoid about SIDS and my son was closer to a year and a half before I gave him blankets to sleep with (before that we used the heavy footed pjs and the zippered blanket suits). My personal guideline was that he could EASILY stand up within seconds and walk really well too. I would "test" him before by putting blankets over his head to see how fast (or if) he would take them off. So those were my guidelines. You know your child best and need to do it when YOU feel comfortable with it, not when some book or person tells you to.

?? My kids always slept with a baby blanket. I think that is silly...

Put him to sleep with it at nap time where you can check on him and see how he does with it. If after a week he doesn't wind up with it over his face/head then you'll feel better about giving it to him. I also would recommend the Angelcare Sound monitor to put your mind at ease. It is a monitor that allows you to hear them but will also alarm if it doesn't detect movement (breathing).

I was super cautious with our son, but he was cold at night, and we were not, so I gave him a blanket before 1. I made sure it was tucked in on both sides and the bottom, and it was at his waist. I also gave him a pillow that was thin around the same time because he kept sleeping on his arms. Boy did our nights turn into 100% full sleep nights once that happened. I can't remember when I did it, though. I just know I felt like he was at a time where it would be okay.

I've never heard anyone say anything about one year old. I think you will be fine, but I would just tuck it in on all sides and not let it be much higher than his waist. Good luck!

I've never heard that they can't have a blanket before one. Of course, you don't put a blanket in with a newborn, but once they can roll over, I can't imagine what the danger would be. Both my sons have a blanket and slept with it well before they turned one.