from http://www.aap.org/policy/pe000272.html
Posted here without written permission from the AAP.
Policy Statement
Pediatrics
Volume 100, Number 2
August, 1997, p 272
Does Bed Sharing Affect the Risk of SIDS? (RE9725)
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS
ABBREVIATIONS. NICHD, National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development; SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome.
ABSTRACT. The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses and accepts as its
policy the
position on bed sharing as articulated below by a panel of experts convened
by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).*
The Panel attended a
conference sponsored by the NICHD entitled "Infant Sleep Environment and
SIDS Risk"
in Bethesda, MD, on January 9, 1997. After hearing presentations from a
variety of
experts from the United States and several other countries, the Panel
prepared the
following statement regarding the relationship of bed sharing and SIDS.
A variety of risk factors have been identified for sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS). Prone sleeping by infants has been one of the most
consistent risk factors for SIDS and avoidance of prone sleeping has been
the focus of several national campaigns to prevent SIDS "Back to Sleep."
Recently, scientific studies have demonstrated that bed sharing, between
mother and infant, can alter and synchronize sleep patterns of mother and
infant. These studies have led to speculation in the lay press that bed
sharing, sometimes referred to as co-sleeping, may also reduce the risk of SIDS.
While bed sharing may have certain benefits (such as encouraging
breastfeeding), there are no scientific studies demonstrating that bed
sharing reduces SIDS. Conversely, there are studies suggesting that bed
sharing, under certain conditions, may actually increase the risk of SIDS.
Also, it should be noted that no benefits have been shown for infants
sleeping with individuals other than the mother. Observations related to
these issues include the following:
Soft bedding placed under a sleeping infant is also a risk factor for SIDS.
National campaigns aimed at reducing prone sleeping and soft sleep surfaces
have been linked with a substantial decrease in prone sleeping and a
significant decrease in SIDS rates.
Until more definitive studies evaluating the relationship between bed
sharing and SIDS become available, the following considerations appear
reasonable:
Unless otherwise directed by a physician, healthy infants should be placed
down to sleep
supine, whatever the sleeping environment. If mothers choose to sleep in the
same bed with their infants, care should be taken to avoid using soft sleep
surfaces. Quilts, blankets, pillows, comforters, or other similar soft
materials should not be placed under the infant. The bed sharer should not
smoke or use substances such as alcohol or drugs that may impair arousal.
Although SIDS is sometimes known as "crib death," caretakers should be
assured that cribs do not cause "crib death." Unlike cribs, which are
designed to meet safety standards for infants, adult beds are not so
designed and may carry a risk of accidental entrapment and suffocation.
There is no basis at this time for encouraging bed sharing as a strategy to
reduce SIDS risk.
Task Force on Infant Positioning and SIDS, 1996 to 1997
John Kattwinkel, MD, Chair
John Brooks, MD
Maurice E. Keenan, MD
Michael Malloy, MD
Consultant
Marian Willinger, PhD
*Panel members included: John Brooks, MD, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover,
NH; John
Kattwinkel, MD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA; Allen Mitchell,
MD, Boston University, Boston, MA; Peter Scheidt, MD, Children's National
Medical Center, Washington, DC; Bradley Thach, MD, Washington University,
St. Louis, MO; Sally Davidson Ward, MD, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles,
CA; Marian Willinger, PhD, National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, Bethesda, MD.
----------------
The recommendations in this statement do not indicate an exclusive course of
treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into
account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.
Copyright © 1997 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
No part of this statement may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without prior written permission from the American Academy of Pediatrics
except for one copy for personal use.
Return to Contents
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
