Dear all:

I find it quite frustrating how the terms for sleeping arrangements are used so loosely as 
to make even the research questionable.  My understanding of the proper definition of 
cosleeping is that it means the baby sleeps in close proximity to the parents.  That may 
or may not be on a separate surface.  Cobedding means on the same surface.  

So, in reality, admitting to cosleeping should not be a problem because that is exactly 
what is recommended to reduce SIDS.  Sleeping in close proximity is the SAFEST place 
for the baby.  A study in Great Britain showed that the risk was 36% higher among babies 
who slept in a separate room than in the same room on a separate surface.  In the same 
study, the risk for sleeping in the same bed was only 16% higher than sleeping in the 
same room on a separate surface. From the methods section, the study population 
seemed to be quite similar to practices among many populations in the United States.

Furthermore, parents put their babies to sleep in all sorts of places during the daytime 
and somehow don't think about that much at all.  The three cases of SIDS that I've known 
of including a 4 pound premie who was sleeping on the side in the same room on a 
separate surface, a baby whose pacifier was tied into the mouth by the nanny to keep the 
pacifier in place during the night in the same room with the nanny, and a baby who 
expired in a stroller at a children's birthday party.  Quite a diverse array of sleeping 
areas and clearly the details of how each of these infants were sleeping would be 
important in determining the factors leading to their deaths.

I really think the approach of you can ONLY put your baby to sleep in x spot is flawed.  I 
think the risks in each environment should be explained to parents.  Currently, New York 
City goes by "the only safe place for your baby to sleep is alone" which means that upper 
and middle class parents interpret this to mean in a separate room which is the highest 
risk scenario.  I've heard the excuse from some relatively serious people that are in favor 
of "cosleeping" in its proper definition of "close proximity to the parents" excuse this 
campaign by saying parents cannot understand multiple messages. I think that is bunk.

The attitudes around sleep probably lead to more lying than the attitudes about sex.  
Abstinence only really has not worked for HIV.  Abstinence only is also not likely to work 
for creating safer sleep environments either.  The tendency to create subtle exceptions 
creep in with the "Well, it doesn't really count ifs:  a) I feed on the couch during the day 
because I'm not really sleeping when I close my eyes, b) I put the fuzzy blanket over my 
baby in the stroller because its really too cold and my baby can't really pull it over his 
face yet, or  c) my baby nurse says my baby should sleep on her tummy to prevent 
vomitting and she'll watch my baby at night, etc.......

Best, Susan E. Burger



      

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