Thank you, Winnie.
Very good you wrote the letter and I love your statement and reasoning. I'll
keep it in mind.
You know what... the lady that 'birthed' the guideline I am fighting
against, has another 'baby': guideline/policy about preventing SIDS, so no
co-sleeping...
I'm probably not done with her, yet, not for a long time... ;o)
Bye,
Marianne Vanderveen IBCLC, Netherlands
----- Original Message -----
From: "Winnie Mading" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 6:04 PM
Subject: [LACTNET] anti-sleep sharing push in Milwaukee
Once again we are facing a strong anti sleep sharing push by the local
health department. There have been several deaths recently and the
department is taking a hard line against any suggestion that what is needed
is education about SAFE co sleeping. They have taken a very paternalistic
"it's too confusing" approach. I got fed up and sent the following letter
which they printed in it's entirety (with the addition of a date) even
though it was over their 200 word maximum!
Look at sleep facts
Let's see if I have this right. If a baby dies in its own bed, it's an
unpreventable SIDS death, but if it dies sleeping with another person, it's
a death due to "co-sleeping" and as such is preventable? We hear how babies
die while sleeping with an adult, but we don't hear about those who die
sleeping by themselves.
The Milwaukee Health Department is exhibiting a knee-jerk reaction and
ignoring the facts. In each of the last three reported cases, one or more of
these factors was at play: the adult was sleeping with the baby on a couch,
had been drinking, was not the baby's parent or had put the baby to sleep on
a pillow. None of these actions are in accord with safe sleep sharing
guidelines. However, the authorities don't want to issue the guidelines for
fear they are "too confusing." Instead, they are condemning all co-bedding,
in spite of the fact that research does not support an across-the-board ban.
In the April 21 article "2-month-old baby dies while sharing bed," one
source said parents are going to sleep with their babies regardless of the
push against the practice. Wouldn't it make more sense to help parents learn
how to safely sleep with their infant if they choose rather than making them
feel guilty if they are following their instincts?
Incidentally, co-sleeping is the baby sleeping in proximity to the parent,
but not necessarily in the same bed while co-bedding means sharing the same
(safe) sleeping surface.
Any death of an infant is tragic, but let's not throw out common sense and
research in responding to these deaths.
Winnie Mading
The latest infuriating thing is that with one this week (where mother had
had several drinks beforehand) , one TV station reported (and this is an
exact quote) "Another co-sleeping related death of an infant...cause of
death has not yet been determined" and another went so far as to say,
"co-sleeping leads to another death...autopsy results to determine cause are
pending"!
So if the cause has yet to be determined, how can they say it's related to
co-sleeping?????
I would write about that stupidity, but they won't print letters less that 2
months apart. Thanks for letting me vent.
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