When I heard James McKeana speak this last fall in Seattle he gave a
historical perspective on overlaying, he said that it was a form of
infancide that was practiced in Europe during the 17th and 18th century. The
women would lay over  the baby until it suffocated hence the term
overlaying. It was practiced most often in the cities where poor women would
literally  be forced into this practice because they could not feed or care
for the great number of children they would have.  When the practice came to
the attention of the governments and the Catholic church it became illegal
to sleep with your babies.
       I am sure that this piece of history influnces the attitudes we still
have about sleeping with babies. He did quote some numbers of the babies who
died in their parents bed in the U.S which I can not remeber.  I do know
that the numbers of reported deaths of babies sleeping in cribs was much
higher..
Kathy D. do you have these numbers on file?

Pat Gorman CLE  gorman @ wvi.com