Cot death '5 times as likely with co-sleeping'

[steph.]

When i was pregnant with my daughter i told myself i would never ever co-sleep. I was paranoid about SIDS and intended on following all the rules. But....when she arrived she cried and cried in the middle of the night. She would settle on the boob, only to wake up again 10 minutes after being in the cot. I put her on the boob again and next thing i knew it was 3 hours later! I completely freaked out and told myself it would never happen again, except it did a few days later. So i decided if i was going to happen, i might as well do it safely. And for the first 8 months she was in our bed alot.

I think every parent should do what they feel comfortable with and what works for your baby. You might have your heart set on one thing, but your baby has different ideas. I dont think co-sleeping is better than cot-sleeping or vice versa. Just whatever works and gets you through the night.

 

[CatherineK]

This article is a bunch of contradicting data, and will in no way stop me from co sleeping. My doctors and pediatrician are cosleeper a with their children, and support cosleeping. I love them

 

[cupcake23]

Reasons why I have a problem with this research
https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2013/05/21/bedsharing-sids-why-we-have-it-all-wrong/

 

[lhancock90]

I'll be bedsharing regardless. The article sounds like too much he said, she said and not enough fact.

 

[Lynzeigh]

just read the article, its a lot of he said she said... not really a lot of hard proven facts. this bit interested me tho...

Unicef UK is concerned that any guidance that recommends the total avoidance of bed-sharing could end up forcing parents into much riskier practices such as feeding in arm-chairs or sofas where the risk of suffocating the baby is far higher.

I agree bedsharing is much safer than falling asleep on a chair. Sadly my brothers partner lost her 5 week old baby after she fell asleep breastfeeding her baby, the baby fell into the bean bag next to her and sufffocated

 

[Lynzeigh]

I co-sleep with my son since birth, it felt safer, and having him near me meant I could hear his breathing and keep checking him more easily. He once slept for 6 hours in his cot, I panicked lol because I was angry at myself for leaving him 6 hours without checking him, first time he slept so long!

 

[Bex84]

For us co sleeping was safer. My lo was feeding at least every hour as a newborn as it allowed me to sleep so was not over tiered. Co sleeping helped her sleep, it helps regulate breathing and we made sure todo safely. She now sleeps in her bed. I think its scare mongering and it should be what works for your family

 

[Piper84]

I think those statistics could change drasticly over the next 10 years.
Recently having conversations with a chinese and philipeno relatives both commented on how formula and cots seem to be more and more common back home amongst their friends and family.
Apparentlt breast feeding is generaly being seen more and more as the "poor mans alternative"
Quite a few times they have been asked about sending formula back home.
The recent restriction on the amount of formula you can buy to try preventing shipments to countries like china and japan also seems to suggest its becoming more popular.

I think you're confusing China and the Philippines with Japan. It is Chinese parents shipping their formula in from Europe and Japan. The Japanese have no problem with their own, domestic formula supply.

I have a problem with this research too. Firstly, no-one knows exactly what SIDS is. It's a blanket term for many causes of death including suffocation, choking on regurgitated liquid, sleep apnoea, haemmhoraging and a load of other things. As far as I can see, only suffocation could be the direct cause of bedsharing.

The article also fails to mention whether the SIDS cases in the study were from parents falling asleep with the baby on chairs and sofas, which is of course more dangerous than safe bedsharing. It also makes no international comparison with cultures where babies always sleep alongside their parents and SIDS rates are far lower.

I will be bedsharing with LO#2, but because LO#1 still comes to our bed in the early hours and is rather active, we're getting one of these

https://www.babybay.de/bilder/babybay/modelle/original-mit.jpg

which can be clamped to the side of the bed.

 

[midori1999]

The statement from the Durham Parent/Infant sleep lab regarding this study and the articles surrounding it is interesting.

https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/isis.online/statements/Carpenteretal2013ISIScommentary1.2.pdf

Notably, this is not a study based on new information, but information that is over 15 years old. It also appears to include information that was previously declared unavailable at the time of the original five studies this 'new' study is based on...

Importantly, what wasn't separated in this study was whether the bed sharing was planned or unplanned and whether what would be considered safe practices were followed. Yes, it controls for alcohol or illegal drugs consumption, but it doesn't take into account where the baby was placed in the bed (was it between two parents, for example, which is a known risk factor) or whether the baby was likely to have overheated due to duvets/pillows etc. It also doesn't take into account maternal smoking in pregnancy, which is also known to be a risk factor for SIDS.

The study also takes 'breastfeeding' to mean that the baby was having some breastmilk at the time of the interview or death, which could mean one breastfeed a day, yet we know that breastfeeding is protective against SIDS and that exclusive breastfeeding is most protective.

Also, although I know the study was related to bedsharing, there is more than 6 times the risk of SIDS where babies aren't bedsharing, but are bottlefed and the parents smoke and drink, than if the parents breastfeed, don't smoke and drink, but do bedshare and 65 times the risk where parents both smoke and bedshare, yet the headlines have been that 'breastfeeding and bedsharing increase the risk of SIDS by 5 times'. Compared to what?!

 

[Pearls18]

The one and only reason I co-slept was because it was what enabled me to continue breastfeeding, the midwife recommended it to me, if it hadnt of been her suggesting it I probably would have given up BF out of exhaustion because DS wouldn't sleep in his Moses basket. I have to say I didn't enjoy co-sleeping, I didn't do it with DH in the bed (he used to work away then so wasn't an issue) and as soon as I could got him in a cot- 5 weeks I did it very much felt like a bad habit for us (just us), but had to go back to it during sleep regressions. I would never do it if I formula fed, and I would never do it for my own satisfaction because I personally (for me, I understand it's not the same for other parents) I believe it was better for DS and I to sleep in separate beds.

Do I want to co sleep with the next baby? No. Will I do it if it helps me to continue BF? Absolutely.

I'm really surprised they haven't mentioned the difference between FF and BF in these articles, not meaning to start a debate, but because BF women tend to sleep more lightly due to the nature of BF surely there must be some stark comparisons to be made?

 

[zanDark]

I think co sleeping is awesome, but I plan to have LO in a cot next to the bed until she's 5-6 months old.

Most people I know do the same, or just put their babies in their own rooms at a couple of months. I just don't feel comfortable cosleeping as both DH and I are fussy sleepers and he tends to accidentally hit me with an elbow or hand most of the time in his sleep! I would consider it more if we slept separately, but that's not something I agree with

 

[smokey]

I think those statistics could change drasticly over the next 10 years.
Recently having conversations with a chinese and philipeno relatives both commented on how formula and cots seem to be more and more common back home amongst their friends and family.
Apparentlt breast feeding is generaly being seen more and more as the "poor mans alternative"
Quite a few times they have been asked about sending formula back home.
The recent restriction on the amount of formula you can buy to try preventing shipments to countries like china and japan also seems to suggest its becoming more popular.

I think you're confusing China and the Philippines with Japan. It is Chinese parents shipping their formula in from Europe and Japan. The Japanese have no problem with their own, domestic formula supply.

I have a problem with this research too. Firstly, no-one knows exactly what SIDS is. It's a blanket term for many causes of death including suffocation, choking on regurgitated liquid, sleep apnoea, haemmhoraging and a load of other things. As far as I can see, only suffocation could be the direct cause of bedsharing.

The article also fails to mention whether the SIDS cases in the study were from parents falling asleep with the baby on chairs and sofas, which is of course more dangerous than safe bedsharing. It also makes no international comparison with cultures where babies always sleep alongside their parents and SIDS rates are far lower.

I will be bedsharing with LO#2, but because LO#1 still comes to our bed in the early hours and is rather active, we're getting one of these

https://www.babybay.de/bilder/babybay/modelle/original-mit.jpg

which can be clamped to the side of the bed.

I wasnt really refering to where the milk was coming from or going to but more the growing attitude of the 3 example countries I gave.
I used those 3 because thats where I have relatives from.
Japan has had a growing oppinion of formula feeding for a while and the other countries seem to be following suit.
As my sil put it among her friends and comunity it seems to be a bit of a growing "follow western culture" fad

 

[Annie77]

this article is a load of scare mongering crap to be honest. Statistically, done safely, with no risk indicators, co-sleeping/bed sharing is as safe, or safer, then a baby being in a cot alone in another room. Lets remember that co sleeping also includes baby sleeping in the same room as their parents, not just in the same bed. and sadly, when you look at the 'SIDS' numbers, babies still die, alone, in their cots, in different rooms, yet no one is coming out and saying that 'cot sleeping is dangerous'
It's only in the Western world we worry about this, in countries like China/Japan where co sleeping and bed sharing is the complete norm, they have no term for SIDS, it doesn't happen. if co sleeping/bed sharing was a higher risk, as a species, we wouldn't have survived this long as throughout history, babies have slept with their mothers.

I have no strong views on co-sleeping except its not for me. However I wanted to also point out re this post that 'Cancer' also has no name in china - but it still exists. I know this as I worked in oncology and it was very difficult trying to explain a cancer diagnosis to Chinese speaking families. Just because a term doesn't exist, it doesn't mean SIDS doesn't happen.

The statistics show that SIDS is alot rarer in those countries

I didn't doubt the stats are lower in these countries - however the other poster stated 'there is no term...SIDS doesn't happen'

 

[Sarahkka]

just read the article, its a lot of he said she said... not really a lot of hard proven facts. this bit interested me tho...

Unicef UK is concerned that any guidance that recommends the total avoidance of bed-sharing could end up forcing parents into much riskier practices such as feeding in arm-chairs or sofas where the risk of suffocating the baby is far higher.

I agree bedsharing is much safer than falling asleep on a chair. Sadly my brothers partner lost her 5 week old baby after she fell asleep breastfeeding her baby, the baby fell into the bean bag next to her and sufffocated

My paramedic husband had one of the worst calls of his life when he was dispatched to almost exactly this scenario. Mum was exhausted and fell asleep in an armchair while feeding and the baby slipped down between her and the arm of the chair and smothered. So so tragic.
I know I fell asleep while BFing a fair few times in those early weeks. That is exhaustion like few of us ever experience.

Personally, if I have a third, I will do just as I did with my second: co-sleep. It was the only way any of us got any rest and I loved having him snuggled in next to me. My first slept better in his own space (we moved him around 7-8 weeks and the difference was pretty dramatic), but different kids, different strategies, right? I think whatever gets the most sleep for everyone involved is the healthiest choice for baby.

 

[smokey]

I think nearly all of us at some point have fallen asleep feeding or holding the baby early hours of the morning and suddenly woken up and paniced about what coyld of happened.
I know I did it at least twice, amazing thing was when I woke my arms where still frozen in the same position, somthing that normaly you would have just gone limp at, maybe it was a subconsious thing to stay in that position.
It still freaked me out about what could of happened though.

Out of interest though I always assumed the definition of co sleeping was to actualy have the baby in the bed with you but after seeing a few comments here about it also covers in the same room as you, is that the case? Is tjat technicaly co sleeping as well or more of a middle ground?
We had lo in the same room as us with the cot pressed up to my side of the bed so I could put my arm through and check him or sooth him while still laying down.
We had him like this for 13 months but we had a 1 bed place so mo choice but even now they have their own room this ones still staying next to my bed for 12 months, I thought thats what you just did.
Is that still seen as co sleeping?

 

[Pink Flowers]

Oliver was right next to us for 7 months.

I can honestly say I have never fallen asleep with baby in my arms. Maybe its because of my depression and that I put him in his chair or basket once he was fed I dont know

 

[Sarahkka]

I think nearly all of us at some point have fallen asleep feeding or holding the baby early hours of the morning and suddenly woken up and paniced about what coyld of happened.
I know I did it at least twice, amazing thing was when I woke my arms where still frozen in the same position, somthing that normaly you would have just gone limp at, maybe it was a subconsious thing to stay in that position.
It still freaked me out about what could of happened though.

Out of interest though I always assumed the definition of co sleeping was to actualy have the baby in the bed with you but after seeing a few comments here about it also covers in the same room as you, is that the case? Is tjat technicaly co sleeping as well or more of a middle ground?
We had lo in the same room as us with the cot pressed up to my side of the bed so I could put my arm through and check him or sooth him while still laying down.
We had him like this for 13 months but we had a 1 bed place so mo choice but even now they have their own room this ones still staying next to my bed for 12 months, I thought thats what you just did.
Is that still seen as co sleeping?

I think baby is in bed with you for co-sleeping?

 

[midori1999]

Technically cosleeping is baby in the same room but not the same bed, bed sharing is baby in the same bed.

However, lots of people informally use the term cosleeping to mean bed sharing.

 

[smokey]

Technically cosleeping is baby in the same room but not the same bed, bed sharing is baby in the same bed.

However, lots of people informally use the term cosleeping to mean bed sharing.

Ahh see I always just thought it was one or the other, the idea of a baby in a cot in another room never even occured to me and just thought none co sleeping ment not in your bed.

 

[smokey]

Oliver was right next to us for 7 months.

I can honestly say I have never fallen asleep with baby in my arms. Maybe its because of my depression and that I put him in his chair or basket once he was fed I dont know

Because of bad colic and reflux we often had to sit and wait for half an hour or so with him laid on my chest and couldnt put him straight down so somtimes got a bit too comfy waiting.