On 16/03/2007, at 9:16, Kathleen Huggins wrote: > Hello! Has the AAP actually come out against bed sharing? I am > not seeing a policy on their website. I did find this 2000 policy statement "Changing Concepts of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Implications for Infant Sleeping Environment and Sleep Position": http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics% 3B105/3/650 "Bed sharing or cosleeping may be hazardous under certain conditions. [54113-115] * As an alternative to bed sharing, parents might consider placing the infant's crib near their bed to allow for more convenient breastfeeding and parent contact. * If a mother chooses to have her infant sleep in her bed to breastfeed, care should be taken to observe the aforementioned recommendations (nonprone sleep position, avoidance of soft surfaces or loose covers, and avoidance of entrapment by moving the bed away from the wall and other furniture and avoiding beds that present entrapment possibilities). * Adults (other than the parents), children, or other siblings should avoid bed sharing with an infant.* * Parents who choose to bed share with their infant* should not smoke or use substances, such as alcohol or drugs, that may impair arousal." and this footnote: "* It should be noted that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is on record as opposing bed sharing by an infant and an adult, particularly if there is more than 1 adult in the bed. Many cases of infant suffocation have been reported during bed sharing.116 However, it is recognized that a significant portion of the population practices bed sharing between mother and infant as a strategy to facilitate breastfeeding and that the presence of the father in the bed will be common. It is the consensus of the Task Force that there are insufficient data to conclude that bed sharing under carefully controlled conditions is clearly hazardous or clearly safe." The policy has an update dated 2005: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics; 116/5/1245#SEC5 which is rather more negative toward bed-sharing, but stresses the need for an infant to sleep in the same room as the parent(s). Lara Hopkins *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html Mail all commands to [log in to unmask] To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask]) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask]) To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]