First, a brief intro to "who I am" ... my name is Heidi Koslo and this is my first post to LACTNET, although I've been receiving wonderful digests for weeks now.  I am the mother of almost 4-yr old nursling, Emma.  I am an LLL Leader, pursuing IBCLC credentials, with a BFA and currently in my first year as a Pre-Nursing Major (in Alaska, USA).  I am actively involved in the Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition, and I hope to enjoy many years of conversing with all of you.  Which leads me to the reason I chose the bedsharing discussion as my first post ...

For a class in Life Span Development, I chose to address the "parenting" issues of Shared Sleeping and Breastfeeding and their role in early attachment ... seemed simple enough until the recent Pediatrics article entitled "Where Should Infants Sleep?" came up under my search criteria.  

I ended up writing to Dr. James McKenna for some clarification and he has given me permission to share some comments from personal communications (October 6, 2003):  Referring to the article mentioned above, DR. MCKENNA said "It does not distinguish between different types of bedsharing death--it collapses any death--regardless of parents being drunk--drugged, etc. etc... or babies sleeping alone--into one--prone sleeping while bedsharing--is not considered.... These statistics do not apply to breastfeeding mothers who sleep with their babies who practice safe bedsharing"

In an additional communication from DR. MCKENNA (October 7, 2003): 
"while a relative risk was calculated---from the recent survey published by Marian Willinger at NICHD last year, ---the calculation used by Scheer et al.  likely underestimates the numbers of parents, especially middle class whites--who actually bedshare for part of the night..This would raise the number of bedsharers to well over 50-55%.
Moreover, and more seriously, the problem with this study is that it treats bedsharing as a coherent an uniform behavior that  can be assigned a fixed-unchanging, universal  relative risk, when in fact the odds ration changes over a continuum to [sic] safe and protective--to risky and dangerous depending on whether or not (or if) any number of specific adverse rick factors are associated with the bedsharing. Such factors not distinguished in the infant deaths statistics on which these odd rations are calculated include: was the infant sleeping prone, did mother smoke, was the baby alone, was the mother breast feeding, was the baby overlaid by a sibling, was the mattress soft, was the baby sleeping on a pillow, was the baby found underneath duvet blankets, did the mother smoke during the pregnancy, was the bed made safe (ledges and gaps eliminated), was an adult co-sleeper drunk, desensitized by drugs. Moreover, as many scientists and researchers have continuously pointed out to Scheer and Kemp, (many published this material in pediatrics in 2000)   when a baby is found in a bed, coroners often simply assume that the baby was suffocated, but if the baby is found in the crib, it is not suffocation, but the death is labled a SIDS. Moreover, infant deaths in poor communities are more likely to be assumed suffocation than they are in richer communities." End Dr. McKenna.



FROM HEIDI AGAIN--
Dr. McKenna asked for a favor.  If those of us in a position to be a voice for properly researched scientific studies could address the issue of this poorly conducted study on every parenting site, forum, etc. and also write to the CPSC and the Editorial office of the AAP, challenging the "quality and validity of this science."  There have already been, and will continue to be, stories through the popular news outlets that will pick up this poorly researched data and trot it out to tell parents they'll be killing their babies if they cosleep!

He suggested that our protests come from our hearts and minds, from our personal feelings as well, and not to throw his name out in every communication.  We should respond to all sources, radio, TV, newspaper articles (hey, this might be a great opportunity to be proactive in suggesting a story to local media and helping them find the appropriate data instead of having to fight back against something already released!).

AGAIN, DR. MCKENNA from a personal communication (October 7, 2003): "The important thing is--no one person can reduce the impact of this...everyone in their own way must take a stand.... Each person--i hope, can use their own networks to spur their friends and associates and family members on--to write and communicate...And please--I am unimportant here--What matters is all of you--YOUR opinions.. Speak in your way. It is most powerful!!"

HEIDI: So, I am going to get off the email and on the telephone to our local paper and suggest an article topic!  Thank you all so much for being there to inspire somebody like me, who is still in the early stages of this "career" on breastfeeding!

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