Abstract
We conducted body measurements needed in designing clothes for children (patients) with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) and made clothes for them for the purpose of improving their QOL and relieving burdens of their caregivers.We measured bodies of 25 inpatients/outpatients of Todaiji Ryoiku Hospital for Children and summarized information/reference sizes needed for designing clothes for the children (patients) with SMID on newly-designed “measurement records". Then we compared the measurement results with pre-existing data and analyzed them, revealing that more than 80 percent of the subjects were small in height and thin/skinny in body size. In particular, their legs were extremely thin; there seemed to be an imbalance in terms of thickness between their body trunks and limbs. Considering that it is difficult to put on or remove clothes especially around the thin areas due to severe paralysis, we suggest that it is necessary to select elastic materials and design openings appropriate for changing clothes in clothing design for children (patients) with SMID.
