Anti-coseleeping editorial

[AmyB]

This editorial appeard in the Deseret News from Salt Lake City, UT. Does anybody know what study they could possibly be referring to with this statement?

A St. Louis study, for instance, found in 50 percent of the sudden infant deaths, bed-sharing was involved.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,450027358,00.html

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--AmyB

[cumulus]

I'm sorry I don't but that finding seems to me to be a "non-finding." If 50% did involve co-spleeping then 50% didn't, meaning that cospleeping had no more relation to SID that sleeping apart. It's worded to sound damaging when the study itself, I'd guess, found no relationship between co-sleeping and SID.

[Corriander]

The studies that I have seen relate SIDS and co-sleeping if a parent is a smoker or has consumed alcohol or drugs. Researchers don't know why, but there is a relationship between smoking and SIDS, even if the mother smoked during pregnancy but not after birth.

Many studies will report the high incidence of co-sleeping and SIDS without reporting or investigating whether parents smoked or did drugs.

[yequanamama]

AmyB! I live in Salt Lake too and I am SO glad I saw your post because I didn't know about this INFURIATING editorial. I am starting my opinion piece right now. I've been published in the Tribune before, but the Des News editorial staff seems a little less professional - who knows if they'll publish an article with REAL evidence to the contrary of their opinion.

I have seen several news clips (KSL and such) lately on co-sleeping, always with the "risk of suffocation" clause attached. I think maybe its time for those of us in the know to start SAYING something here, instead of just listening and rolling our eyes. I have no idea what St. Louis study they're talking about, but I think I might bet that if it exists, it was conducted in the inner city, where drug and alcohol abuse would be high!

Anyway, do send a letter. And I will sum up McKenna, Kissel, and others. Now, where did I put that issue of Mothering?

[Juelie's Mom]

Did they mention why these deaths occured?
Most studies forget to acknowledge the difference between responsible co-sleeping & not so responsible co-sleeping.

Babies DO suffocate in co-sleeping situations. Common reasons are:
*Parents have been drinking/doing drugs and have fallen deeply asleep and are not as aware of the baby as they would otherwise be.
*There are older children sleeping in the bed who unknowingly suffocate the baby
*The child falls between the mattress and head/foot board, or the wall
*A baby suffocates as the resuly of a very soft mattress or fluffy bedding

There are things you can do to make the family bed MUCH safer for your baby than a crib.
*Don't go to bed drunk or drugged (hopefully not a usual occurance anyway!)
*Move older children to their own beds or sleep between the older child & the baby
*Stuff blankets between the mattress & head/foot board so there is no space. Keep the bed at least a foot away from walls & furniture.
*use a firm mattress & as little bedding as possible. NEVER pull blakets up past a baby's waist!

We have converted to a matress on the floor. I usually give my baby one of her own blankets (up to her waist), & we have a firm mattress. I believe our bed is extremely safe, & I do not regret our co-sleeping decision!

Holly