I am not sure if someone has mentioned this already, as I was off Lactnet
for a while. Just in case........


I was recently given a copy of a Policy Statement from the American Academy
of Pediatrics, dated March 2000, and titled Changing Concepts of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome: Implications for Infant Sleeping Environment and
Sleep Position (RE9946)  It had been downloaded from the AAP website:
www.aap.org. Here are some relevant quotes:

"...but no epidemiologic evidence exists that bed sharing is protective
against SIDS."

"....although breastfeeding is beneficial and should be promoted for many
reasons, the Task Force believes that
evidence is insufficient to recommend breastfeeding as a strategy to reduce
SIDS."

".........recommendations are intended for sleeping infants and primarily
for well infants."

"Bed sharing or cosleeping may be hazardous under certain conditions.
-As an alternative to bed sharing, parents might consider placing the
infant's crib near their bed to allow for more convenient breastfeeding and
parent contact.
-If a mother chooses to have her infant sleep in her bed to breastfeed, care
should be taken to observe the aforementioned recommendations (nonprone
sleep position, avoidance of soft surfaces or loose covers, and avoidance of
entrapment by moving the bed away from the wall and other furniture and
avoiding beds that present entrapment possibilities.)
-Adults (other than the parents), children, or other siblings should avoid
bed sharing with an infant.*
-Parents who choose to bed share with their infant* should not smoke or use
substances, such as alcohol or drugs, that may impair arousal."

"  *It should be noted that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is on
record as opposing bed sharing by an infant and an adult, particularly if
there is more that 1 adult in the bed. Many cases of infant suffocation have
been reported during bed sharing. However, it is recognized that a
significant portion of the population practices bed sharing between mother
and infant as a strategy to facilitate breastfeeding and that the presence
of the father in the bed will be common. It is the consensus of the Task
Force that there are insufficient data to conclude that bed sharing under
carefully controlled conditions is clearly hazardous or clearly safe."


"The recommendations in the 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".


Karen Koss
Michigan, USA

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