It may be tempting for new parents to keep their newborn baby as close to them as possible at all times, even sleeping with the baby in the same bed. Parents should be warned that while co-sleeping may seem like a great way to bond with their child, it can lead to avoidable tragedy. Co-sleeping has been associated with a number of risks to the life and health of infants.
Suffocation Risk
In 2008 both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission strongly advised against co-sleeping. Infants who slept in the same beds as their parents were at a greater risk of SIDS, particularly if one or both parents smoked. The babies were also at risk of accidental suffocation or strangulation due to a parent accidentally rolling over on them, having their faces covered or caught up in blankets or bedding, or having their noses and mouths pressed against that mattress.
Co-Sleeping Statistics
According to a report released in September 1999 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission there were 515 deaths of infants in that year that were attributed to co-sleeping.
- 290 of the deaths were caused by the baby getting its head caught between the mattress and the headboard, wall, or furniture next to the bed
- 36 deaths were caused by the infant strangling as its head was caught between railings on the bed or between the mattress and a portable bed railing
- 68 babies died as their faces pressed against a water bed mattress and they could not breathe through their mouth or nose
- 394 of the infant deaths were the result of the baby suffocating as they got caught up in blankets and bedding
- 121 infants dies because a parent accidentally rolled on top of them without realizing it and suffocated the baby
Alternatives to Co-Sleeping
There are ways for parents to keep their babies close to them as they sleep at night and to make it easier for them to to access their infants quickly for night feedings and soothing. Parents can place the infant in a traditional bassinet that is placed right next to the parent bed. The child is in a safe sleeping place yet close enough to be watched, heard and felt.
There are also co-sleeping bassinets on the market in which the baby is completely enclosed on all four sides so that he or she can not roll out, but one side of the bassinet is so low that it almost gives the illusion that the child is in the same bed, even though he is not.
The best way parents can keep their infant safe while sleeping is to not take the baby into bed with them. This does not mean that the parent and child cannot share the same room and have a similar closeness as if they were sleeping in the same bed. Co-sleeping is not a safe option, but close sleeping is. It can be a safe and rewarding experience for both parent and child.
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