sensory soft clothing and why it matters

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sensory soft clothing and why it matters

by | Feb 16, 2024 | Uncategorized

For the first two years of my son’s life, I thought he was going to grow up and become a nudist. Every opportunity he had to strip off his clothing, he did.

I would redress him. He would strip again. Redress. Strip. Rinse and repeat.

Finally, I started putting his clothes on him backwards. My thought was that if he couldn’t reach the snaps or zippers on his outfits, they’d stay on!

Imagine the confused looks that I received while out in public. It was better than the alternative, though. I think it would have been a lot more difficult to explain why my baby was naked instead!

At home, I’d let him play and explore in a diaper. They weren’t sacred either. He would pick and pull at them almost continuously until they too, came off.

What I didn’t know back then was that his clothing and diapers physically bothered him. It wouldn’t be until he could verbally communicate with me that I started to understand he had sensory sensitivities.

Many babies are born with sensory processing disorders. And chronic inflammatory disorders such as eczema can affect up to 20 percent of infants- especially within the first few months of life.

This is such an important topic. We are very open about discussing eczema and which soothing materials are helpful, such as organic cotton and bamboo. Yet, we rarely hear about the textiles and fibers that work best for children with sensory hypersensitivities.

Sensory defensiveness can occur at birth or even later on in life. It can transpire when there is a stress disruption within the central nervous system that alerts our touch receptors. These receptors send a message to our brain and our bodies react accordingly. Pressure, texture and temperature all play an important role to those with sensitivities.

With this in mind, I wanted to sit down with a dear childhood friend and talk about how clothing has had an impact on her son’s growth and development.

Gabryel was born with Down Syndrome and spent the first three weeks of his life in a NICU. His nurses called him ‘Houdini’ because he didn’t like to be swaddled and always found a way to escape his confines.

Certain materials and clothing articles have been a source of irritation for him since early on. Buttons, snaps and anything that isn’t soft and stretchy when he moves is frustrating and uncomfortable. Socks can’t be too tight and tags are annoying.

Scratchy or cumbersome materials tend to turn his arms red and he breaks out with little bumps on his skin. Denim isn’t tolerated very well either.

He loves soft cotton T-shirts and shorts, though. But as my friend Anne explained, they have to be very soft. Not stiff. He also prefers athletic wear that is breathable. Elastic waistbands that are stretchy with movement are another favorite of his.

The positive news for children like Gabryel that experience sensory defensiveness, is that it can get better with age. Many children go on to see a significant improvement with growth. It might not completely go away in some, but chances are it won’t be as severe.

As for my son, I am happy to report that he did not grow up to become a nudist! He is now a college graduate with a major in psychology. One of his favorite studies of interest included child development and sensory stimulation in children.

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