The obesity connection has been found in several studies (they're in my
office somewhere). I had been planning some research on the subject so I did
a lot searching and reading articles.

My theory is that it is a mechanical effect... that the baby is more likely
to roll into the parent based on the type and firmness of the mattress and
the weight of the parent.  When you think of it, waterbeds and couches both
pose risks from baby getting his face smushed up against something that he
can't back away from. If an adult's weight causes the bed to be "downhill"
towards the adult it's pretty easy to see how a baby could roll into a
position he can't roll out of. One of the questions I was looking at was how
far away the baby should be to avoid that effect. This adds to the variables
with how much room a person takes up on the bed and how much bed there is to
take up in the first place.  I don't recall how obesity was defined in all
the studies - one used the definition of morbid obesity, I think.

Gail S. Hertz, MD, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html