Sudden infant death syndrome prevention apparatus and method and patient surface

Crib safety apparatus for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome due to carbon dioxide poisoning, said apparatus comprising:

• a generally rectangular mattress formed by an upper layer of air permeable material so as to be received in a crib, said upper layer defining a generally flat upper support surface for receiving an infant thereon with the infant's head situated adjacent a predetermined target breathing space associated with a selected region of said upper support surface, and said mattress further defining a breathing space non-blockable air dispenser means defining a predetermined volume beneath said selected region, for supplying a flow of air to said breathing space which is effectively not blocked by placement of an infant's head adjacent said predetermined target breathing space;
• fabric cover means fitted at least about said mattress upper support surface and comprised of air and liquid permeable material so as to permit the flow of oxygenated air therethrough upwardly towards said target breathing space, and so as to permit the flow of regurgitated fluids and bodily fluids downwardly from the infant towards said mattress upper level;
• and
• air pump means for drawing fresh oxygenated air from around the crib surroundings and pumping the fresh oxygenated air into said breathing space via said non-blockable air dispenser means so as to expel carbon dioxide from said breathing space, such that fresh oxygenated air is presented to an infant instead of accumulated exhaled carbon dioxide even whenever the infant is received face down onto said mattress upper support surface target breathing space.

A two-zone crib safety pad for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome due to carbon dioxide poisoning, said crib safety pad comprising:

• an upper support layer comprised of air permeable material;
• two-zone bladder dispenser means, situated below said upper support layer and operative with oxygenated air supplied thereto, for differentially dispensing oxygenated air to two separate zones defined thereby and characterized by respective relatively higher and lower oxygenated air flow rates, which differentiated flow rate zones are extended to an infant received on said upper support layer by the air permeability of such layer;
• and
• forced air circulation means for circulating oxygenated air via said dispenser means to an infant received on said upper support layer such that a relatively higher risk infant may be placed in the vicinity of the portion of such layer associated with the relatively higher oxygenated air flow rate zone as determined by said dispenser means.