I had to share something that is currently consuming our local media.  With good reason, to be sure, but I'm afraid the timing is not particularly helpful.  I posted recently about a safe sleeping brochure that a committee that I'm on has been working on is finished.  (It should be posted to the
website soon.  Still waiting ;-) )  Well, our local media are reporting that there have been 5 infant deaths -termed suffocations in the media- just in the month of January in our county.  There was a news conference and many statements were made which might scare and frighten parents more than
inform them.  It was mentioned that 4 of these children were in an adult bed, one having fallen asleep with it's mother after a feeding (breast or bottle, it doesn't say).  But the quote from the local SIDS Alliance director, who was on our committee BTW, was particularly strong.  She said,

"if you can look at that baby's face and think it will be ok if they don't wake up in the morning, then go ahead and put them in bed with you"

I am taking some flak in my job because a doc on the committee talked to one of the higher-ups about what I might be teaching our patients about bed-sharing (I don't address sleeping with your baby, just how to safely practice breastfeeding while side-lying.)   This doc was vehemently opposed to any
and all bedsharing.  It's such a shame that the response is so knee-jerk and paints all the deaths with the same broad brush-that bedsharing was the reason they died (despite the fact that one died in a crib surrounded by toys).  It was also noted, one baby's sibling suffered the same fate 5 years
ago and one had an upper respiratory infection so the mom decided to put the baby on a pillow beside her rather than in the crib where it usually slept.  All other details were left out.  How horrible for these parents, but all the more reason to push for thorough investigation of these deaths and
the real causative factors.  Once again, they mentioned SIDS (every parent's nightmare) in connection with suffocation deaths.  One is preventable, the other is not, though breastfeeding offers some protection from SIDS.  Time to hunker down and try not to get caught in the firestorm.  The good news
is that our brochure is still on track for publication.  They haven't derailed it, yet!
Marsha, who is also doing a little swimming with all the rain we're getting in the hoosier state!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
John S. C. Abbot
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