How horrible for this mother.  I can't imagine a more guilt-inducing way
to lose a child!  I can imagine this would set any unit back
tremendously as management adopts the "take whatever precaution is
necessary to make sure this doesn't happen again.  Of course, bedsharing
is the most obvious and expedient.  However, this mother seems to have,
according to post, 3 of the red flags that would indicate that
bedsharing should NOT occur.  She was overweight (though we are talking
more on the order of obese before this caution applies across the
board), she was bottle-feeding and she was a smoker.  Smokers should not
co-sleep, even if they are breastfeeding.  Bottle-feeders should not
co-sleep even if they don't smoke, and obese women should not bedshare
even if they breastfeed and do not smoke.  Women who are on
sleep-inducing medications should also not bedshare.  In the reality of
the environments we now live in, with soft mattresses and pillows and
heavy bedding, etc, there are considerations we have to make now when
talking about the safety of bedsharing.  That is what is so wonderful
about the side-car types of arrangements that Helen H posted about.
Regardless of all these factors, though, co-sleep (that is, baby in a
separate bed in the same room with the mother) is now the recommended
sleep place.  Not in a separate bedroom.  I think that is a tremendous
step forward, in and of itself!  The brochure that is coming out from
our state perinatal organization (and which Jim McKenna and I
participated in the writing of) will carry these recommendations.  This
does, however, remain a tricky area for many hospital units.  Many, I
think, skirt it by leaving the baby in the isolette in mom's room at
night and if they come in during the night to find mom and baby in bed
asleep, they simply put the baby back in the isolette.  Not ideal for
breastfeeding mothers, perhaps, but better than taking all babies back
to the nursery and *only* bringing them back for feeds during the night.
I hope your hospital isn't considering this!

Marsha, who feels so sad for this mama....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future
generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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