On 29 Dec 2001, at 12:48, Diane Langton wrote:

> We seem to have a few cases yearly of infant deaths while sleeping with
> parents.  I cannot advocate sleeping with a newborn in bed.  I just did a
> well-baby exam a few weeks ago on an apparently healthy one month old.
> Parents fell asleep with him in bed - woke up with him pressed between
> them - not breathing.  Anything that might reduce this occurrence should be
> advocated and stressed to parents.  Who would give a guarantee to any parent
> that this won't occur with co-bedding?  And
> imagine how the parents must feel?  We should advocate/educate any measures
> to reduce SIDS and/or suffocation.
> Diane  RNC, MSN, PNP

We co-sleep with our 3 year old since we came home a week after
her birth. I strongly believe in the combination of co-sleeping and
breastfeeding as SIDS-reducing factors.

What I wonder when I read the above tragedy is: did these people
start out to sleep in the bed with their child, or did they accidentally
fall asleep? I think this may mean a big difference, in the last case
they wouldn't have realised there was a baby in the bed.
Also: did they do all the sensible tings, among these I mean:
- not drink or use any seducing medicine
- use sheets and woolen blankets rather than a duvet
- have a normal bed, not a waterbed
- keep pillows well away from baby

Also: what do you mean by 'pressed between them'? Really
squished, or rather cuddled? If it is SIDS, I would believe it was
cuddled and the baby died from an _unknown_  reason, because
that is what we mean when saying it is SIDS.
If the baby was squished to death, it isn't SIDS, but suffocation or
something like that.



Heleen Hayes
http://www.xs4all.nl/~hhayes

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