Weighted Blankets - are they safe?

Weighted blankets are becoming popular and readily available on the market.

Sometimes called calming, sensory or anxiety blankets, weighted blankets are essentially quilts with pockets of beads, sand, barley or other small rounds objects.

There is very little research on safety aspects of the blankets, Kidsafe make the following observations based on expert advice:

• Pediatricians and sleep experts do not recommend weighted blankets for infants.  Sadly, we now know that sleep positioners can be associated with infant suffocation.
• Most blankets come with an age range of 4 years and up, but we would not recommend that any kids use them while sleeping, as they can be too heavy for a child to move.
• Only parents, with advice from a trained occupational therapist or paediatrician, should consider using weighted blankets for their child.
• Other people caring for a child should not use them without the parents’ consent.
• We believe the risk of SIDS may be relevant to the issue of using these blankets.
• We would be cautious if the blanket came undone and the content came out - it could be a choking hazard or something that could be inhaled up the nose of a child.
• Blankets should be bought only from a reputable distributor, come with a list of precautions, and have higher safety standards than other blankets on the market.

There is much information available on safe-sleeping practices for parents, including:

Raising Children website offers good information on kids sleep across age groups: Click here

Article by pediatrician Kathryn Bucklen, M.D. Click here