All Natural Mommies

Posts Tagged ‘safety’

A study published in the British Medical Journal claims that co-sleeping is a large factor in SIDS deaths.  The researchers, led by Peter Fleming of St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol, Britain, studied 80 unexplained deaths that occurred in southwestern England from 2003 through 2006.

Fifty-four percent of these babies died while co-sleeping with a parent.   According to the researchers, “”Much of this excess may be explained by a significant… interaction between co-sleeping at recent parental use of alcohol or drugs.” 

Does this study prove that co-sleeping is dangerous and should be avoided?  Absolutely, not!  It proves that there needs to be more education, information, and support given to parents who want or need to co-sleep. 

Sharing sleeping space with your newborn can have many benefits:

• Bonding – Having a parent nearby and responsive to the baby’s needs, makes baby feel safe and comfortable.
• Baby sleeps better – When baby feels safe, she can fall asleep, and stay asleep, easier.  Co-sleeping babies do not have the separation anxiety that keeps so many babies awake and crying in their nurseries.
• Mom sleeps better – Being able to see, hear, and touch baby reassures Mom that baby is okay.  Often, if baby awakens, Mom will need only need to spend a few minutes comforting or feeding baby before they both drift contentedly back to sleep.
• Assists with nighttime breastfeeding – Baby can easily nurse while Mom rests.  This avoids the need to turn on lights as you move through the house.  Lights signal your brain that it is time to be awake.  Keeping the room darkened allows you to fall back to sleep easily.  Moms who co-sleep are also better able to attune themselves to their baby’s breastfeeding patterns.  This attunement helps with breastfeeding at all times!

There are many benefits to sleeping with your infant if it is done safely.   So, how do you keep your baby safe?

• Prevent baby from rolling out of bed- Place baby between Mom and a guardrail fitted snugly to the mattress.  You could also push the bed flush with the wall and place baby between Mom and the wall.   Be sure there are no gaps that can trap baby between the bed and guardrail or wall.  Assess your own situation at home.  If your bed is on rollers and your bedroom floor is hardwood, placing the bed against the wall may not be a safe option.  Dads often sleep heavier than Moms do; so it might not be as safe to sleep with baby between Mom and Dad, at least at first.  After a few months of co-sleeping, however, Dads often develop a better awareness of the baby’s presence.   Some parents prefer to use a co-sleeper bassinet that keeps baby within reach but out of the bed.
• Be aware of pillows, soft blankets, etc and keep them away from baby.  Infants should not sleep with pillows, stuffed animals, or fluffy blankets.  Also, be aware of the softness of your bed.  If you cannot sleep without your extra soft pillow top mattress, consider using a co-sleeping bassinet.
• Bed size is key- Larger beds allow more room for everyone to move, and provide less chance of a parent rolling onto the baby.  King or Queen sized beds are best.  Waterbeds can be dangerous.  The baby can easily roll between the mattress and bed frame.  Waterbeds may also make it easier for a baby to roll under a parent unnoticed.
• Never sleep with your infant after consuming alcohol or drugs, including prescription or over-the-counter medicines that cause drowsiness.  An impaired parent will not have the reflexes and sensitivity needed to be aware of the infant’s presence.  Anything that makes you sleep more soundly than normal should be avoided when co-sleeping.
• Be extra careful when older children sleep in the same bed as an infant.  Older children are likely to sleep soundly and not be aware of the baby’s presence.   Mom should sleep between the infant and any older siblings sharing the bed.

Good old common sense goes a long way!   Take a good look at your family bed and bedroom.  Identify any safety hazards and remove them before adding an infant to the family bed.  Co-sleeping can be enjoyable and beneficial for both the infant and parents.  Be safe and enjoy your time together!

Do you co-sleep?  What other ways do you use to keep your baby safe in the family bed?