Co-Sleeping and SIDS

A new study reveals that babies who share a bed with a parent are up to five times more likely to die of SIDS – even if mom and dad follow all other infant safe sleep recommendations.

Led by Dr. Robert Carpenter at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the research team concluded that even when parents aim to co-sleep responsibly, eliminating unsafe practices such as smoking and alcohol or drug use, the risk of SIDS soars.

Calling this the “largest study of SIDS risk factors ever reported,” the researchers presented some very startling statistics:

• Babies younger than 3 months old are 5 times more likely to die of SIDS if they co-sleep

• Nine out of 10 SIDS deaths that involved sleeping with a parent or caregiver would not have occurred in the absence of bed-sharing

• 22.2% of babies who died from SIDS had been sleeping with a parent or caregiver at the time of their death

I know this won’t convince anybody to kick the habit, but I’m posting the link as a form of public service.

Please kindly spare me any defense of this practice. I’m not interested. I’m sure there are tons of spaces where it can be celebrated at length. I have never in my life visited any of your blogs and left any comments. Please give me the same consideration and leave your Spiel off my blog. Thank you!