At Manuka Baby we believe natural fibres such as Merino Wool, 100% Wool, Organic Cotton, Cotton Elastane and combinations of these are best for precious newborn babies.
NEW ZEALAND MERINO WOOL
Naturally New Zealand Merino:
NZ Merino is a natural, renewable product that is hardwearing and biodegradable. It is produced in NZ’s rugged and beautiful high country where sheep roam freely.
NZ Merino is whiter, stronger and longer than Merino from anywhere else on the planet, resulting in superior natural attributes for use in luxury garments.
No man-made fibre has come close to replicating Merino’s naturally occurring combination of attributes. Synthetic fibres can’t touch Merino for all-round performance.
Merino Wool is lightweight, soft and luxurious. Winter or summer, New Zealand Merino enables baby to slumber in comfort. 
Merino Wool Attributes:
In essence when sleeping in a Merino garment, baby is sleeping in their own micro-climate. While synthetics are passive, Merino is active; Merino garments ‘breathe’. Merino has the ability to respond to changes in baby’s body temperature, keeping baby warm when the weather is cold and cool and comfortable when weather is hot.
The Merino fibre has an amazing capacity to absorb liquid - up to 30% of its own weight in water without feeling damp - so it's better than synthetics at moving moisture away from baby’s skin and releasing it as vapour, avoiding the uncomfortable ‘clammy’ feeling that can be so disruptive to sleep.
The natural crimp of a Merino fibre creates millions of tiny air pockets which help make Merino fabrics much better insulators, enabling it to retain heat, making garments warm and comfortable to wear.
The natural elasticity of the Merino fibre means Dimples and Fringe of Heaven Merino baby essentials stretch then return to their natural shape. This results in a snug fit while also giving baby freedom of movement and the ultimate in comfort.
Merino Wool Health Benefits:
Improved Sleep Patterns
This can be attributed to the incomparable ability of Merino to maintain a comfortable micro-climate between baby’s body and garment.
Improved Levels of Contentment
At the Cambridge Maternity Hospital in 1979, Scott and Richards found that low-birth weight babies gained an extra 10g a day compared to babies that weren’t on Merino. Merino also results in generally improved levels of contentment; Scott also found that babies sleeping on Merino settled more quickly, cried less and fed for longer periods. Parents of infants who were sleeping on Merino also reported a stronger sense of parent-baby bonding.
Reduced Risk of SIDS
A number of studies have shown that swaddling infants tends to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Since overheating has been identified as a key factor in many cases of SIDS, there is a strong case for using Merino as the swaddling cloth because of its previously noted ability to regulate heat and humidity.
Reduced Allergies
Merino Wool is static-resistant; it therefore picks up less dust and lint from the air making it the perfect fibre for allergy sufferers. What’s more, dust mites prefer hot humid environments and as mentioned, Merino is much better at lowering both temperature and humidity than synthetics.
Merino Wool Safety Attributes:
Fire Resistance
Merino contains natural fire retardants; it insulates against high temperatures and doesn't readily catch fire. It self-extinguishes when the source of flame is removed. More importantly, when merino burns it doesn't melt and stick to the skin. That's why it is an excellent fabric for babies bedding and clothing.
UV Protection
Testing of various textiles shows that merino has a natural UV protection factor of 30 in more than 70% of cases, much higher than most synthetics and cotton.
Merino Wool Care:
New Zealand Merino fibre is long and strong, which increases a garments durability and ability to remain soft, smooth and less likely to pill. Merino fibres can be bent 30,000 times without breaking which explains why merino garments are so long-lasting.
The Merino Wool fibre is naturally stain and odour resistant and requires less washing than other fabrics.
Merino Wool is machine washable – a plus for busy mums.
‘Weight Gain and Movement Patterns of Very Low Birthweight Babies Nursed on Lambswool’, S. Scott, P. Lucas, T. Cole and M. Richards, Child Care and Development Group University of Cambridge and the MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit Cambridge, Oct. 198O-Sept. 1981.
W. E. Morton and J. W. S. Hearle, Physical Properties of Fibre, The Textile Institute Manchester, 1986 Edition
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