Your Childrens Health

Co-sleeping is a centuries old practice however, it remains controversial in America.  Sharing a bed with an infant is considered unsafe parenting.  But what are the facts about co-sleeping?

Studies show that infants who co-sleep are at less risk for SIDS.  Co-sleeping promotes breastfeeding and matching mother/infant cycles.  It helps infants fall asleep more quickly, especially in the early months when they wake more frequently during the night.  Co-sleeping also deepens the emotional bond for parents who are separated from their child during the day.

So why is co-sleeping associated with infant mortality?  While it is true that infant deaths have resulted from sharing a bed, there is a distinction between a shared bed and a safe co-sleeping situation.

For safe co-sleeping, take the following precautions:

*Always place your baby on his or her back.

*Always make sure your child’s head is uncovered.

*Make sure your bed mattress fits your bed frame so there is no space for the baby to become trapped.

*If you are placing your baby in an adult bed, sleep with them. Never leave them unattended.

*Reduce the amount of pillows and comforters.  All soft plush items should be removed from the bed.

*Don’t drink or use drugs that may cause drowsiness before co-sleeping with your infant.  This will insure that you will remain aware of your child’s presence in bed, and can wake up if your child does.

*Never place a baby and older child in the same bed.

Studies that indicate that co-sleeping in closely linked with infant mortality have not made the distinction between high-risk and low-risk co-sleeping practices.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 17th, 2006 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Uncategorized, Pregnancy and Newborns, Sleep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.