In the Post-Publication Peer Review section of Pediatrics online there are
several comments on the Scheers, Rutherford, and  Kemp article: "Where
Should Infants Sleep? A Comparison of Risk for Suffocation of Infants
Sleeping in Cribs, Adult Beds, and Other Sleeping Locations". Kemp replies:

> I stand by our research in the Oct. 6 issue of Pediatrics that shows  babies
> who share beds with their parents are as much as 40 times more  likely to
> suffocate compared to babies who sleep in cribs.
>
> It had been my hope that parents could use the hard statistical data  that
> demonstrates the riskiness of bedsharing to make decisions to keep  their
> babies safe.
>
> In our Western culture, adults sleep on beds that have soft pillows  and plush
> bedding. While these beds are comfortable for adults, they are  unsafe for
> babies. In other parts of the world, adults sleep on surfaces  without soft
> covers and fluffy pillows. These sleep surfaces may be safe  for babies,
> although data substantiating this are rare. The beds that most of the Western
> world sleep on are not. Parents who choose to bring their  infants into their
> cushy adult beds need to know they are taking an  unnecessary risk, then
> assess their actions.
>
> In addition, I know of no data that say that babies taken to bed to  breast
> feed are somehow safer than those taken to bed and bottle fed.   There are
> several reports of babies taken to bed solely to breast feed who have died
> suddenly and unexpectedly.
>
> Some parents might prefer to remain ignorant that sharing a bed with  their
> infant can have life-threatening consequences. They characterize the idea that
> co-sleeping is hazardous as an "urban myth." They dismiss the  statistics that
> show the dangers of bed-sharing as alarmist.
>
> Our research was an objective study that quantified the number of  babies who
> suffocated in adult beds, compared to those who suffocated in  cribs. The
> research was not designed to scare parents. Rather, the  research should
> empower parents.
>
> I feel certain that the vast majority of parents would rather have
> information to do everything within their power to nurture their infants  and
> demonstrate the ultimate parental bonding. The safest place for a baby to
> sleep is in a crib.
>
> James S. Kemp Associate professor of pediatrics, Saint Louis University School
> of  Medicine
> Director of Sleep Disorders program, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's  Hospital

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters/112/4/883
(Note, the abstract and full text of the study is also on this web page.

-- Jodine Chase

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