Co-sleeping with babies: good or bad?

Published in The Post-Star (B1)
4/30/06

As a popular lullaby implies, treetops aren’t the best place to rock babies to sleep. But what about your own bed?

For an increasing number of mothers and babies, what lulls them best is lying close to each other in the same bed, termed "co-sleeping" or "bed-sharing." It’s a form of bonding, and many breastfeeding mothers find it a practical way to give their baby easy access to a midnight snack.

"As a parent, I just believe in whatever gets everybody the most sleep," said Renee Murphy, a mother of five from Queensbury. "So, if the baby’s in your bed and everybody sleeps well, that’s the way to go."

But last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a warning that bed-sharing could raise the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) under certain conditions, especially in smoking households.

"I tell patients that it is a risk for SIDS and that it is not recommended," said
Dr. Mary Nevins of Adirondack Pediatrics in Glens Falls. She recommends "sleeping in proximity" — a crib or bassinet at the parents’ bedside — rather than co-sleeping.

On the other hand, popular child care author Dr. William Sears suggests in his writings that a mother can act as "a breathing pacemaker" for her babies and that they can develop a "sleep harmony" that makes the infant’s breathing more regular and healthy — actually reducing the risk of SIDS.

Either way, surveys show that the practice of co-sleeping is on the rise in the United States.

‘Common across the board’

In the most recent national survey on infant sleep position, the proportion of infants frequently sharing an adult bed more than doubled between 1993 and 2000. Almost half of the infants studied had shared an adult bed at least once in the previous two weeks.

The study also found that African-American and Asian infants were three to four times more likely than white infants to co-sleep with adults and that low-income households were twice as likely to practice co-sleeping.

"It’s more common in some cultures ... but it’s obviously common across the board," Nevins said.

What concerns doctors, she said, is the risk that an infant could be suffocated in an adult bed by loose blankets, an overly soft mattress — or worse, the adult themselves.

"I have a cradle in my room, but I never put them in our bed for fear that I would roll over them," said Heather Wagemann, a Silver Bay resident with two young children.

Local prosecutors think that’s what happened in the case of Amy E. Campbell, a 33-year-old North Creek woman who awoke on Feb. 2 to find her 7-week-old infant dead beside her in her bed. She initially told investigators that she drank a 12-pack of beer and was taking several prescription drugs that night, although she later said she drank only three beers.

Nevins said reports of "suffocation by an overlying adult" are part of the reason the academy advises against co-sleeping, "particularly if the adult is in an unnaturally depressed state of consciousness," such as from drug or alcohol consumption.

Part of other cultures

Whatever the experts say, most local mothers who have co-slept said they have never felt
worried about their babies’ safety.

"There’s something about that breastfeeding relationship. ... When I’m in bed with my child, I can be sleeping a nice, solid sleep — but at the same time, every little whimper wakes me up," said Mary Maley, a South Glens Falls mother of four. "I’m very conscious of where my baby is."

Ruth Castonguay, a Queensbury mother of three, did a lot of research before deciding to share a bed with her first baby.

"What I found is that we’re an odd civilization that doesn’t sleep with our babies," she said. "Co-sleeping is a normal part of other cultures. It’s only Western civilization that promotes sleeping apart."

The La Leche League, a national organization that promotes breastfeeding, publishes a factsheet of guidelines for safe co-sleeping.

"Basically, the league says that if co-sleeping is right for your family, it’s fine, but follow safety guidelines," said Stacey Melvin, a South Glens Falls mother of three who helps lead a local chapter of the league.

The guidelines include using a firm mattress with tightly fitted sheets and keeping the baby on its back or side, away from loose pillows or blankets.

Avoid leaving space between the bed and the wall where the baby could become trapped, and keep the bed low to the ground.

"And obviously, don’t use alcohol or drugs," she added.
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