Image: Shutterstock
Have you come across pictures of newborns wrapped in cottony-soft, cream or white colored receiving blanket with blue stripes? It may have been on a friend’s Facebook page or Instagram profile announcing the arrival of a new family member. One look at such pictures and the commonality in them will likely give you some hints about the baby. One – the baby was born in a hospital. Two – in all likelihood, it is some part of North America (if you don’t already know, that is). Now, you might be wondering how we can guess all this by just looking at the wrapped newborn baby. The reason is that this creamy-white hospital receiving blanket is given at all hospitals across North America! And what’s more? They all come from the same source!
Image: Shutterstock
Yes, that’s right. This pattern of the blanket is so popular that it has become sort of a trademark hospital blanket. It even has a brand name – Kuddles Up blankets. These blankets are manufactured by an American company called Medline, which is based in Mundelein, Illinois. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? But yes, it’s true. Every single baby receiving blanket bearing this pattern that you find in North American hospitals is manufactured by this company alone!
In an interview with an online portal, the president of Medline’s Medcrest textile division, Jim Robertson said that this blue-striped creamy-white color blanket is the number one style that the company manufactures. He went on to add that this blanket style has been Medline’s signature blanket style since the 1950s. According to him, the company might have produced an estimated 25 million such blankets since the 1980s (1).
The blankets are made of all-cotton flannel which makes it soft, fluffy as well as warm. They look great as receiving blankets or crib blankets too. Apparently, this quality is what makes these blankets a great favorite. However, if you thought that Medline manufactured baby blankets only in this particular design, then you might be wrong. According to the company’s website, it manufactures similar material baby blankets in other adorable nursery designs. They are available in dinosaur prints, duck prints, and baby footprint patterns. They are also available in solid colors like pink, blue, and off-white.
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However, if you are still wondering what makes the particular creamy-white striped blanket so popular, then we have a convincing answer to that as well. As it turns out, this particular design is very reasonably priced when compared to other designs or varieties manufactured by the company. Thus becoming a much cheaper option when ordered in bulk by the hospitals. This has also contributed to other indirect benefits as well. For one, it is easily recognizable by hospital staff when they are on their rounds at the hospital. With this design becoming increasingly identified as a hospital staple, anyone who sees a baby in this blanket would be able to guess the approximate age of the baby. Thus, this makes others around be cautious while handling the baby.
Another benefit of this blanket is that it is extremely functional without being overtly attractive. So, when you want to take a cute picture of your newborn, the blanket will not overpower the image. Thereby, your baby remains the main point of focus of the picture. But what we like the best about this blanket, perhaps, is how it treats every baby the same way irrespective of their race, gender, region, or religion. It gives a sense of uniformity and discipline when you see babies wrapped in similarly in cribs at the hospitals. We’re not sure if the company had this ideology in mind while first manufacturing this blanket. Of course, they would have thought about affordability so that everyone can purchase it easily.
But then, they would have never imagined that their product would one day become so popular that it’ll become a trademark blanket for all newborns in North America. And for this, Medline surely deserves a round of applause!
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