Comments on: Co-Sleeping is Safe, Despite Alarmist Media Claims

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:38:35 +0000

do you have any actual evidence to back up that claim? because that sounds very much like trendy sleep training to me.

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:36:39 +0000

i agree with everything you’ve said, although i myself bedshare with my baby, husband and toddler. you’ve explained the whole case- that it is personal choice, and that modern bedding is not necessarily good for the practice of bedsharing- so it needs to be part of the education of new parents that “if you want to put your baby in a cot, this is how you can minimise risks of SIDS; if you want to sleep with your baby, this is how you minimise the risk of smothering.” smothering and SIDS are two completely different things, and their are risks and benefits to both sleeping practices. the fact is, around 60% of parents will share a bed with their baby at some point- so help them make it safe.

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:31:26 +0000

and this is sarcastic, unthought out nonsense. car seats are new, because CARS are new. car designers were not thinking about infant safety (or even adult safety) when they created their machines- they were pioneers, not health and safety advocates. also, cars are not natural transport for a human, whereas sleep is a natural practice for all humans, and all other mammals sleep safely with their young the vast majority of the time.

By: melissa

melissa — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:28:21 +0000

bob didn’t you read the whole post? particularly the part where in the study quoted on 1.5% of the deaths were due to unsafe co-sleeping? yep, the risk (the tiny, tiny risk) is there, but statistically the risk of sids is massive when a baby is sleeping on its own! you can’t just ignore facts to suit your own beliefs

By: SIDS Doctor and Researcher Recommends Co-Sleeping

SIDS Doctor and Researcher Recommends Co-Sleeping — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:03:24 +0000

[...] of SIDS from sharing a bed with your baby as reason why baby should sleep alone in a crib. The media jumps on tragic stories of death from improper bed sharing as further evidence of the dangers of [...]

By: 26 Average US Crib Injuries a Day: Co-sleeping is Safer

26 Average US Crib Injuries a Day: Co-sleeping is Safer — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:25:28 +0000

[...] Many opponents of the family bed and co-sleeping claim it is unsafe. It is true that injuries and tragic deaths have occurred when babies are placed in adult beds, but most of the time this is the fault of parents who do not remove bedding or practice safe co-sleeping practices. [...]

By: Sleep toddler

Sleep toddler — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:24:50 +0000

Make sure that your child knows that it is time to sleep. Toddlers and babies can develop an instinct to sleep if you start putting them on bed at a fixed time and then turn on the lights.

By: SLEEP RESEARCH – Latest SLEEP RESEARCH news – Editorial: Load up on life, not classes

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 12:06:54 +0000

[...] Co-Sleeping is Safe, Despite Alarmist Media Claims [...]

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:43:36 +0000

I believe really passionately after 4 children of my own and watching countless other adults parent in different ways, that co-sleeping is inherently expected, needed and loved by both the baby and the mother (in the peace of mind she aquires and of course the restful sleep). I sleep well and so does the baby from birth. If there’s a moment in the night when the baby stirs or misses a breath I’m suddenly awake and there for them. The days that follow are more relaxed as both myself and the baby are well rested. Most importantly the beautiful bond we share having enjoyed the intimacy of co-sleeping is amazing.

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:28:05 +0000

I agree with “Bob”. I can’t understand how we Americans can accept some technological advancements as good and others as bad. We generally accept that riding in a car seat is much safer for an infant despite the fact that few of us adults rode in car seats and yet, we’re alive.

The adult bed in the United States is not a safe structure for an infant. The mattress that we use is generally much softer than an infant mattress. It also can have pillows, sheets, blankets, duvets, pillow toppers and all sorts of other soft bedding. Some use mattresses that are air filled and some use mattresses made of memory foam – all deadly to an infant.

Is it possible to make the adult bed less dangerous? Absolutely. Some parents, especially those committed to the theory of attachment parenting give great thought and planning to the family bed. These parents are making an informed choice to raise there children in a certain way.

However, that’s not the norm for the majority of new parents. The majority of new parents start out with all good intentions of placing their infants in cribs to sleep and then in a moment of exhaustion, they fall into bed with their infant. This is considered “chaotic bedsharing”. It rarely includes alcohol or drugs. It’s mostly exhaustion that brings on poor choices.

I work with many of the parents who have experienced the unexpected death of an infant. It’s horrible. It only takes a moment to suffocate a baby. It takes a lifetime to mourn that same baby.

As a parent, you get to decide. It’s your choice. No different that putting your child in a car seat – or not. No different that requiring your child to wear a bike helmet – or not.