[bakesgirls]

Why babies should never sleep alone: A review of the co-sleeping controversy in relation to SIDS, bedsharing and breast feeding - James J. McKenna and Thomas McDade
http://www.naturalchild.org/james_mckenna/cosleeping.pdf

36. Does Breastfeeding reduce the chances of SIDS?
http://cosleeping.nd.edu/frequently-asked-questions/#36

Thanks for posting this. It certainly made for an interesting read.

[creepersgonnacre...]

You're right of course SarahM72, SIDS and overlying are different but in my own mind I tend to lump them together as 'waking up to see your baby has passed away'. I know that sleeping separately would prevent the risk of overlying but in my own mind, I wonder whether it increases the risk of SIDS. My (uneducated) opinion on the matter is that if kangaroo care/skin-to-skin helps regulate a newborn's breathing and heart rate, then having your baby next to you all night where he/she can hear you breathing and feel your heartbeat will also stimulate the baby enough to prevent apnoeas.

I agree-I have co slept with all mine (esp the boys) and Samuel I did from veyr early and I just kept the pillows and blankets away from him. Now he is older he still sleeps with me in our bed and I find he pushes the blankets away and pillows away anyway.

The alternative for me is the cot/bassinett next to the bed which I did as well. It was good when Noah was ill as a newborn as I could hear him breathing etc and he was still safe.

On the couch I only napped with them on the edge side and when there was another adult around

[SarahM72]

Thanks for the links Emily33. I have just read them and they were very interesting. Confirming my own thoughts. (I guess that's probably why I enjoyed reading them ).

[Fossy]

I have attended two cases where co sleeping babies have died, both cases the mother accidentally smothered the baby while asleep, they were both ruled accidental death, not SIDS. fwiw all safe sleeping practices were followed in both cases, just tragic.

[MrsNorthman]

The same way it is unfair for the Coroner to apply such a blanket statement to cosleeping, I believe it is also unfair to apply a blanket statement by cosleepers that it is unlikely to happen because of being "in tune" with the baby etc.

The problem IMO with cosleeping is that very rarely are people actually doing it properly and safely. They often don't provide a secondary safe place for baby to sleep if they are feeling particularly tired that night (we all know that happens). There is also no mattress on the market in Australia that is considered *safe* for a newborn to sleep on, ie not being hard enough and most cosleepers do not address this issue with any kind of solution.

I agree that the stats need to accurately or at least more accurately reflect cosleeping by separating those who have coslept whilst on drugs or alcohol etc.

[rosiebird]

The same way it is unfair for the Coroner to apply such a blanket statement to cosleeping, I believe it is also unfair to apply a blanket statement by cosleepers that it is unlikely to happen because of being "in tune" with the baby etc.

I have never seen a statistic that 0.00XX% of bed-sharing babies die from suffocation, excluding all the known high-risk factors for infant death (eg. maternal exhaustion, sharing with young siblings, lying prone, smoking, etc ). Bubs10 knows of 2 cases, I wonder how many cases there are in Australia.

[Guest_tigerdog_*]

I agree that the stats need to accurately or at least more accurately reflect cosleeping by separating those who have coslept whilst on drugs or alcohol etc.

But they are separated out - if you read the article it clearly states that 70% of sleeping accidents involve the parent's use of drugs and/or alcohol. That leaves 30% of deaths which do not involve these things. Pretty clear to me!

[MrsNorthman]

But they are separated out - if you read the article it clearly states that 70% of sleeping accidents involve the parent's use of drugs and/or alcohol. That leaves 30% of deaths which do not involve these things. Pretty clear to me!

Sorry my mistake in my post. What I was saying in my head but not reflected through my typing fingers was that the Coroner should have separated these as it is not fair for him to be making public statements without reflecting the truth about the stats.

Rosiebird - I too would like to know how many happen in Australia.

[bakesgirls]

DP

This post has been edited by bakesgirls: 17/03/2012, 11:32 AM

[bakesgirls]

I have attended two cases where co sleeping babies have died, both cases the mother accidentally smothered the baby while asleep, they were both ruled accidental death, not SIDS. fwiw all safe sleeping practices were followed in both cases, just tragic.

Tragic just doesn't describe it