The History of the Baby Blanket

One of the first types of baby blankets were made out of animal fur, as were all clothes at that time.  People would hunt animals for their meat for food and use the every part of the animal, like bones for tools and weapons and this included the fur for clothing and blankets.

Later a blanket would be used by mothers who would swaddle their infants in order to limit their movement. This was thought to quieten babies that were irritable; they could also be easily carried about.  It was also thought that it would ensure that the babies’ limbs would grow straight and keep them from being deformed.

In Tudor times babies would be wrapped in linen bands for the same reasons, they would also attach a band to the forehead and secure to the shoulders so that their head was secure.

After this time swaddling became out of fashion and was associated with neglect as the babies were often left for long periods of time without being comforted.

Baby blankets after this were a simple square or rectangle which is recognisable as what we use today, although they were made natural fibres and may have been lace, muslin, silk  and would have been handmade and passed down from baby to baby.

Blankets were not just to keep warm, many babies used them as comforters or transitional objects like a teddy or doll, things they kept with them all the time which made them feel happy and safe.  In war time they may have been the sort of item the child evacuees would take with them to the country to help them stop feeling home sick.

Since then baby blankets have not changed a great deal although the materials to make them have changed and are sometime made from synthetic fibres like acrylic, polyester or fleece.  Recently there has been a big change in the standard blanket, they have become much more shaped or even fitted like clothing.  Baby sleeping bags have replaced standard cot blankets; babies wear them like clothing so they stay on the baby and mean that they keep an even temperature throughout the night.

Buggy blankets have also developed they now fit into the baby equipment and wrap around or zip over.  They are very practical and make life much simpler to use, of course you can still get the old standard baby blanket but I don’t think it will be much longer before they are used less and less.  Parents are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative products for saving time and making everyday things easier. Many things throughout the history of blankets have changed, but one thing will never change and that is the purpose of keeping the baby warm.  We may find new and better ways and materials to do it but we will always need the baby blanket.