Only in the last 5 years have most studies begun to pull suffocation deaths 
out as different from SIDS deaths. Some of us are not so sure that we entirely 
want this yet, and the origin of the cosleeping question is the cause: It 
seemed for a very long time, if not today, that when a not-easily-explained 
death occurred in a crib, it was a "crib death," which later became known as 
SIDS. When possibly that very same death occurred in a bed with an adult in 
it, the cause was not SIDS, rather it was immediately assumed to be 
overlying. This is the main reason "we" want to know whether there are more 
deaths, including supposed suffocation deaths, when a child cosleeps, or not. 
We want to know whether there truly is an increased risk from overlying, OR is 
there a decreased risk from being constantly monitored all night, from positive 
hormonal interactions, and from the generally improved/increased 
breastfeeding allowed by cosleeping.

It does appear clear that the close monitoring and increased breastfeeding 
allowed by a baby sleeping in the same room as a parent allows for far 
fewer "unexplained" deaths than does sleeping alone in another room of the 
house: http://www.babyreference.com/Cosleeping&SIDS%202005%20Review%
20of%20the%20Studies.htm   BUT the cosleeping gets more complicated. 
First, some CDC or CPSC announcements only refer to adult surfaces, with no 
look at whether that baby is alone or accompanied; adding to cosleeping fears 
the very way they want it to. Second, who is in the bed? The parents appear 
to be safer than siblings or other adults. Likely the "other adults" part is tied 
into another prominent factor in apparent risk: customary sleeping position. 
Was it an impromptu co-sleep due to tiredness, illness, other reason or are all 
experienced at this practice? Was it an adult bed made safe or a sofa or 
something in-between? Was the parent sober? It appears that smoking makes 
a big differenece. When you take a breastfeeding, nonsmoking, customary 
cosleeper on a surface made safe, the babe is far safer than in a crib in 
another room and likely as safe as in a crib next to the bed. The question that 
arises from looking at current studies between room-sharing and bed-sharing 
disappears after the first few weeks or months, with bedsharing 
sometimes/often coming out ahead, and with size appearing to be the 
determining factor; hinting but not proving that there may be some overlying 
risk in very tiny babies.

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