As to statistics on children dying co-sleeping, I have numerous studies 
summarized on the links I've given. Boy I'm sure not trying to argue in that 
direction but do think we need to watch and explain these studies. They're 
used strongly against "us."

McKenna isn't doing statistical studies that I've seen. He does powerful 
evaluations of the available studies joined with his "biological anthropology" 
explanations that speak to the highest power of cosleeping. I have only the 
highest regard for him and his evidence is powerful. I hope I did not sound any 
different. No one has to convince me about cosleeping being beneficial and 
positive. This statement of his puts the response to the negative statistics 
simply and will make the statistics shine on the side of cosleeping: "The need 
to distinguish between safe and unsafe beds and bedsharing is essential in 
clarifying under what conditions forms of co-sleeping (including forms of 
bedsharing) can be considered ‘hazardous.’ "   We can recall that "Crib Deaths" 
were much higher before making cribs safer (and they still have their dangers).

I've already discussed the overlying issue and the suffocation vs SIDS issue. 
Maybe your question was relating to no more SIDS with cosleeping when you 
take out the suffocations. I don't like to speak of it that way as it's admitting 
that the suffocation is a danger of cosleeping. I think we need to measure it 
all together as we don't really know whether it was overlying suffocation or 
not in many cases. The truth will become evident that true overlying is 
extrememly rare when-- and babies are much safer when sleeping with non-
smoking, breastfeeding, sober, customary cosleepers in a safe bed. I'd like to 
say it's easier than that, but the studies...

I'm so glad to hear from you, author of the review on Mothering, and I was 
very eager to hear comments about that negative review on your article. It is 
certainly agenda-driven. I'm so glad you acted so boldly to put numbers 
together and try to show the truth that so many of the studies will never 
allow to be portrayed from their data and the CDC will certainly never try to 
amass. I hope your article receives good attention. So often the conclusion of 
these SIDS studies is different than what is shown in the body and tables. 
Deriving a percentage for those cosleeping at any given time, as you have 
done, is a valuable part of the equation. While I was certain your numbers had 
more strength than suggested in the odd review, I did fall into their trap a 
little too far. I'm glad to be pulled back up out of the silliness.
linda
author "Baby Matters"



On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:31:10 -0700, Tina Kimmel 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>a few points:
>
>-- i don't believe that babies who co-sleep are statistically more
>likely to die of SIDS. could we see that citation, please? James
>McKenna has published population-level statistics to the contrary.
>
>-- btw i don't know how anyone could say "(McKenna's) information is
>physiology insight and intelligent conjecture... but not statistics"
>unless they hadn't actually read his 25+ published scientific
>articles.
>
>-- be aware that if an infant dies of whatever disease SIDS turns out
>to be, and he or she happens to be in their parents' bed, many
>coroners will enter "overlaying" as the cause of death.
>
>-- the Mothering Magazine article where i found that "crib sleeping
>is 2.37 times more risky than bed sharing" was about suffocation, not
>SIDS. the CPSC (US Consumer Product Safety Commission), in
>conjunction with the JPMA (crib manufacturer's lobby) had come out
>with a statement regarding co-sleeping and suffocation that
>disregarded the known risks of crib-sleeping. Mothering (with Dr.
>McKenna as guest editor) asked me to contribute an article about the
>relative risks of both sleep situations with regard to suffocation.
>
>-- btw in that strange critical article in "Mainstream Parenting",
>the author compared apples and oranges, and i'm not sure what her
>agenda was.
>
>Tina Kimmel, PhD, MSW, MPH

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