Yeah, Jan is right, there are lots of ways to interpret this
co-sleeping/SIDS/BFing thing. Let me know if this a bit "Occam's Razor" in
its simplicity, but:

1)James McKenna's studies (and probably others I don't know about, not to
mention plain old experience/observation/common sense) finds that
co-sleeping babies nurse more frequently during the night, right?
2)The AAP Policy Statement re: BFing & Human Milk (12/97)makes a strong
statement supporting the importance of infants' receiving breastmilk,
including the following statements: "Newborns should be nursed whenever they
show signs of hunger...Crying is a *late* indicator of hunger...In the early
weeks, nondemanding babies should be aroused to feed if 4 hrs. have elapsed
since the last nursing". All of which is much more likely to happen if the
baby is right there next to mama, right? Have you seen McKenna's videotapes
from his sleep studies? Pretty clear.
3)That same policy statement cites "...a number of studies that show a
possible protective effect of human milk feeding against Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome" as a reason for the importance of breastmilk.
4)The AAP policy statement (#RE9725), Does Bed Sharing Affect the Risk of
SIDS?, acknowledges that "...bed sharing may have certain benefits (such as
encouraging breastfeeding)", but only goes on to say that "there are no
scientific studies demonstrating that bed sharing reduces SIDS". All that
means is exactly what it says - there aren't studies.

OK, if they are *strongly* recommending BFing (how come a doctor can "order"
supplementation but only "recommend" BFing?) frequently and at the infant's
early cues, AND they say in their own policy statement that increased BFing
may help prevent SIDS, AND they have no studies to prove that co-sleeping
reduces SIDS incidence but that it might increase breastfeeding, I'm going
to the conclusion that there's some reason for co-sleeping, no reason not to
do so *safely* & *appropriately*, and take their stronger statement (pro-BF)
more seriously than their weaker one (anti-co-sleep).

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC Ithaca NY

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