In a pediatric water mattress, of the type for use for therapeutic purposes for enhancing the health attributes of an infant particularly after premature birth, the mattress incorporates a pair of inner liners that are sealed together around their perimeter to form a water holding chamber, a pair of outer liners, said outer liners being larger than the inner liners and forming a minor capacity air chamber in which the inner water chamber is located, a valve connecting through the lower outer and inner liners for providing access into the inner chamber for admission of water therein, with another valve connecting through the upper liner for providing access into the outer chamber for determining its contents, a covered guard means surrounding the mattress and being adhered coextensively with the outer periphery of the outer chamber, and an inflatable pillow formed for attachment upon the uppermost surface of the outer liner for providing comfort and therapeutic positioning of any infant resting upon the mattress.

Apparatus for coupling to a flotation support system as, for example, a water mattress or the like, for purposes of effecting periodic oscillations of said system. The apparatus comprises an expandable and collapsible air bladder, which is positioned beneath the system in force transmitting relationship therewith. An air pumping means is connected in a pneumatic circuit with the air bladder so as to pressurize the bladder and expand same against the overlying support system. Means are provided for periodically venting the pneumatic circuit and air bladder to atmosphere, in consequence of which the bladder collapses under the weight of the overlying system; and thereupon expands following the venting. The resultant expansions and contractions of the bladder thereby effect the desired oscillations of the system. The venting means may comprise a generally gas-tight enclosure positioned in series with the air pump and air bladder, the enclosure including an opening to atmosphere, means normally sealing said opening, and means for periodically unsealing the opening to effect the desired venting. The resulting oscillations of the said flotation support system are deemed to have beneficial effects, especially with respect to infants -- e.g. where said system comprises all or part of an infant mattress assembly.

A flotation mattress pad for an incubator or open warmer has a plurality of separate transverse sections filled with a heat-retentive, viscous fluid. The center sections of the pad have a slightly greater thickness than the end sections. Each section overlaps the adjacent sections to provide relatively constant thickness when the pad is tilted.

A seat which has a pneumatic component. The pneumatic component is pressurized to a desired degree to conform the curvature and hardness of the surface of the seat to the preference of the seat occupant. The pressurization is carried out by manipulating a control mechanism which allows air into and release air from the pneumatic component.

Motion is departed to the water in water beds by periodically lifting a region of the lower surface of the water bed mattress, said region being contained somewhere within the outer margins of the water bed. A water motion that is more uniform and more acceptable in practical applications is provided by lifting a region at least one of whose margins is not parallel with the plane of any of the sides of the water bed mattress. In a preferred embodiment, it is a triangular section of the bottom of the water bed that is lifted, and the lifting is accomplished by tilting that triangular section upwardly toward the upper wall of the apparatus and by accomplishing that tilting from the apex of the triangular region. In a refinement of the action, a means is provided for adjusting the lifting action in frequency or degree to achieve a relationship with the natural resonant frequency of water movement that produces a pleasant bed motion.