When a child dies, we don’t just mourn the child, we grieve for the life they never got to live. All funerals and memorial services are special in their own way, but we often pay extra attention to planning the details of a child’s funeral.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- What’s an Infant Casket?
- How Much Does an Infant Casket Usually Cost?
- What Are the Dimensions of an Infant Casket?
- Different Types of Infant Caskets
- Where Can You Buy an Infant Casket?
This includes picking out a special casket to serve as the child’s final resting place.
Let’s examine several types of caskets for infants. We’ll also talk about what they look like, what they might cost, and where you can buy them.
What’s an Infant Casket?
An infant casket is just what it sounds like. It is a small casket designed to hold the body of a child who has died. You might get an infant casket for a baby who died sometime after birth, or for an infant who was stillborn. You may also get one for a miscarriage. Even if a baby died before delivery, many parents still wish to hold a burial.
Like caskets for adults, you can find a wide variety of options when you shop for infant caskets. The first thing to consider is the material. Caskets are typically made of metal or wood. Biodegradable caskets have also become increasingly popular in recent years.
The inside is lined with a material such as velvet, satin, or linen. Sometimes this lining might be embroidered or feature designs. The fabric lining might also be tufted or ruffled for extra visual detail.
Some people also have a cap panel inserted into the lid of the casket. Cap panels typically feature a picture accompanied by words — it’s just another way to customize a casket.
How Much Does an Infant Casket Usually Cost?
Caskets for adults tend to be very expensive. On average, casket prices tend to be anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 on caskets for adults. A lot of the expense comes from the cost of the materials.
The sheer amount of metal and wood used in the construction costs money. Because infant caskets are so much smaller, they are much more affordable. You can buy a plain but serviceable infant casket for as little as $50. Higher-end infant caskets can be $800 or more, but there are several options for every price point.
What Are the Dimensions of an Infant Casket?
The industry standard for infant caskets is 17 inches long. However, some casket manufacturers make even smaller sizes.
Other common casket sizes are 10 inches, 14 inches, or 15 inches long. Caskets in the smaller size ranges are typically chosen after a first, second, or third-trimester miscarriage.
Different Types of Infant Caskets
Infant caskets can cost anywhere between $50 and $800. You can imagine that due to this price range, you can find a wide variety of styles available. Let’s look into some examples of the many styles of infant caskets you can choose from.
1. White casket
When you shop for infant caskets, you may discover that a lot of them are white.
There’s a reason for this. The color white symbolizes innocence and purity, two qualities often attributed to children and infants. Children are a bright light in the world, and a white casket signifies that.
2. Pink or blue caskets
When people pick out caskets for children and adults, they often inform their decisions on the tastes of the deceased. They might pick a casket in the deceased’s favorite color, or in a particular wood or metal. You might incorporate a design element that reflected their personality.
But sometimes a child dies so young that they were never able to form or express their personal tastes. When people look for caskets for an infant, they sometimes choose a pale pink casket for an infant girl or a baby blue casket for an infant boy.
3. Rainbow casket
One of the best things about a rainstorm is the rainbow that comes afterward. Even if your child was only with you on the planet for a short time, he or she changed your life.
And even in the darkest moments of your grief, you’ll be able to hold onto the love you feel. A colorful rainbow casket can represent the idea that your child brought brightness and joy into your life.
4. Butterfly casket
Butterflies hold a lot of symbolism in cultures from all over the world. In many cultures, people believe that butterflies represent people’s souls. In some sects of Christianity, butterflies are a symbol of resurrection.
Butterflies go through many phases in their life cycle. They metamorphose from egg to larva to pupa to adult. Because of this, they also represent growth and transformation. Butterflies are beautiful to look at, and they hold a lot of significance. This combines to make them a powerful choice for casket design for children.
5. Transportation-themed caskets
Babies and small children often gravitate toward toys and objects that represent transportation, like cars, airplanes, and boats. Babies might look at a mobile featuring an airplane.
Many caskets are available featuring different forms of transportation. They might even feature more whimsical variations, like a pirate ship.
6. Animal casket
Most children are fascinated by animals from a very early age. It should come as no surprise that there are many children’s caskets available featuring animals.
7. Mythical creature casket
Children bring a little bit of magic into our lives, just by existing. It’s no wonder that they are drawn to magical creatures.
Many kids are fascinated by stories of legendary creatures like fairies, unicorns, or dragons. Children’s caskets featuring these creatures are a popular design.
8. Caskets featuring favorite characters
Popular children’s TV shows and movies often inspire a lot of products. You can find caskets with characters like Spiderman, Big Bird, or Spongebob Squarepants.
Many children’s caskets feature beloved characters. It can make parents feel better knowing that their child is buried with a cheerful character.
9. Prince or princess casket
As a society, we tend to honor children. What better way to honor them than by treating them like royalty? A casket featuring a crown is fitting for a little prince or princess.
10. Angel casket
Many people find comfort in their faith that children taken from us too soon become angels.
Many children’s casket designs incorporate images of angels and angel wings.
Where Can You Buy an Infant Casket?
Infant caskets are a pretty niche industry. Children’s caskets make up only about six percent of casket sales. As a result, not every casket manufacturer stocks a wide selection.
Caskets in general are a pretty specialized product, but even some major retailers carry adult sizes. Children’s caskets though are a bit harder to find. Here are some places you can turn.
Funeral home
When a loved one dies, we often turn to funeral homes to help us figure out the logistics of burial. They can help you with everything from writing a eulogy to planning a baby memorial.
If you’re using a funeral home, they can even sell you a casket. However, they come with a heftier price tag. Funeral homes often sell caskets that have been made by other manufacturers, so they mark up the cost. But for many people, the convenience factor is worth it.
Online retailers
Funerals can be expensive, and caskets are one of the biggest costs associated with them. You can order caskets online, often directly from the manufacturer. The casket prices from an online retailer are often much less expensive than ones from funeral homes because there is no middleman.
Funeral homes often only have a limited amount of styles in stock. If you shop online, you have a wider variety to choose from. This enables you to pick out something that really pays tribute to your child. However, there are some downsides to online ordering.
Timelines for planning a funeral are typically very narrow. While many sites offer next-day shipping, many people don’t want to worry about shipping delays. It can also be stressful for grieving parents to figure out the logistics of ordering a casket and making sure it gets to the funeral home.
Choose the Right Casket for Your Child’s Final Resting Place
Funerals provide an opportunity to honor a loved one after death. The ceremonies that go along with them celebrate their lives.
And the vessels we place them in serve as their final resting place. When you choose a child casket (or a burial urn for an infant), it can be incredibly emotional. But it is also one powerful act of love.