Hi all,

All very interesting - Try this quick quiz -

20 years ago almost anything was called SIDS. Now we are able to distinguish
between accidental suffocation and SIDS at post mortem??

I sometimes just wonder what is really going on with the SIDS stuff and
whether some of the decreases we see are reflections of increasingly
sophisticated post mortem techniques.

Are some of the deaths seen with co sleeping and drug using (alcohol,
narcotics, benzodiazepines, nicotine) SIDS or are they "accidental
overlying"?

I thank Kathy for posting the consensus statement which I had not previously
seen but surely in terms of breastfeeding the important part is

"There is no basis at this time for encouraging bed sharing as a strategy to
reduce SIDS risk. "

Indeed perhaps not but "While bed sharing may have certain benefits (such as
encouraging breastfeeding)" is a pretty big endorsement. Particularly since
we would agree that the decision to breastfeed is probably the most
important decision you cna make about your child's health in their first
year of life.

I still advise parents to follow the advice to reduce your risk of SIDS but
that doesn't preclude co sleeping it really suggests care with the choice of
bedding. This is the same as thecare needed for the choice of bedding for
our children anyway.

 We still co slept with our children.

Phillip Sheard. RN and Generalist Community Nurse. Father of Alex, 7 and
Elena 3

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