Thanks for the ongoing discussion on SIDS and co-sleeping.

OVERHEATING
Many years ago a colleague and I (whose knowledge motherhood and midwifery
are excellent just like me) both agreed that it is the excessive warmth
created by

overclothing
too warm a room
new plastic cots  (used to be wire or cane with plenty of airflow.
the fancy covers placed around cots

that may be the trigger for some SIDS.

We passed the idea on to the researchers but there was no economic value in
something as simple as overheating.  We were told that when we had a
saleable medication then we could bring this up again (facetiously said).
I
note that just recently overheating has been mentioned.

CO-SLEEPING
I believe a baby sleeping with its mother who gets too warm and has too
much of anything would arouse its mother and therefore overheating or too
much or too little would be easily discovered.   Remember those babies who
are hungry are capable of waking their sleeping mothers at night even if
not co-sleeping at a very young age.  Why wouldn't they yell if they were
too hot or were having trouble breathing especially if next to mum.

BABY BATTERING
An article the other day in the paper linked a high percentage of SIDS to
that baby battering syndrome (yet again)  I have no opinion either way but
passive smoking has also again been mentioned.

SLEEPING ON TUMMIES
Most babies love to sleep on their tummies especially after a meal and
usually move their heads around easily.  Provided they are not tightly or
overwrapped and in too hot a room this position MAY be safe.  I know many
parents tell me they still use this position because that is where the baby
sleeps best. They know about the risks.

DR SPOCK AND OVERHEATING
Dr Spock has been unjustly slammed for everything he had to say.  He
advised that babies should not have heaters in their room as it dries out
the mucus membranes and that babies need the stimulus of cold to trigger
their thermoregulatory centres.  For what it is worth I believe he was
recommending not overheating babies.

NEEDING TO PLEASE WITH WEARING OF GIFTS.
Many daughters and daughters in law believe that have to clothe babies in
all of the gifts ever knitted for them (in spite of hot weather or heated
houses) in case they offend someone.

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th