An average of 64 babies under two years old die each year while sleeping in adult beds, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC. (See References 4). Although many states, including Texas and Massachusetts, have started campaigns against this practice, it is still common, with approximately 45 percent of babies spending time in an adult bed during any 2-week period, according to a Boston Globe article by Naila F. Moreira published in 2006. (See References 2,3)
Function
Some parents believe that their baby will sleep better if he is in the same bed with them or find it easier to co-sleep when nursing frequently during the night. Parents who are at work all day like to spend some extra time with their child. It is also a cultural practice very common in a number of countries around the world, including China and Korea. (See References 1)
Risks
Although there might be some beneficial aspects to sleeping with your baby, there are also a lot of risks. These include the baby being strangled when his head gets stuck between rails or in openings on the bed, the baby being suffocated when an older child or adult rolls over onto it, suffocation when the baby is trapped between the mattress and the wall or another object and being suffocated when airways are constricted when placed face down on a waterbed mattress, according to the CPSC. (See References 4)
Prevention/Solution
Those who insist on co-sleeping with their baby need to take precautions to make the practice less risky, according to University of Chicago Pediatrics. These include always placing the baby on its back, not having any soft items like pillows and comforters on the bed, making sure the bed fits snugly into the frame and is not near any windows and that the bed doesn't have any openings in the head or foot board that could trap the baby, not putting the baby down alone and not co-sleeping when on medications, when overly tired or when you have been drinking. (See References 1)
Considerations
Some people sleep with their babies due to economic considerations. Because of this child welfare departments in some locations give away cribs or bassinets to those who cannot afford them. However, there are often waiting lists for these items. (See References 2 and 3) It is also important, according to James J. McKenna, a professor at the University of Notre Dame who has studied co-sleeping practices to take care not to scare parents so much with anti-bed sharing campaigns that they won't tell their doctor that they co-sleep with their baby. Then these parents would miss out on learning about how to do this more safely from their doctor. (See References 3)
Expert Insight
The CPSC states that the only place for a baby to safely sleep is on their back in a crib that meets current safety standards and is empty of all soft items. (See References 4) One option is for parents to purchase special cribs or bassinets that hook to the side of the bed and have an open side. This prevents parents from rolling over onto their babies but still keeps them close by during the night for ease of feeding. Regular bassinets or cribs next to the bed are also a good option, according to University of Chicago Pediatrics. (See References 1)
