Sleeping Close to Baby

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that for breastfed healthy term infants, mothers and infants should sleep close to each other to help with breastfeeding.

The AAP reports that a study¹ that examined babies sleeping with parents and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)found:

• Co-sleeping with an infant on a sofa was associated with a particularly high risk of SIDS.
• Sharing a room with the parents was associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
• There was no increased risk associated with bed sharing when the infant was placed back in his or her cot.
• Among parents who do not smoke or infants older than 14 weeks there was no association between infants being found in the parental bed and an increased risk of SIDS.
• The risk linked with bed sharing among younger infants seems to be associated with recent parental consumption of alcohol, overcrowded housing conditions, extreme parental tiredness, and the infant being under a blanket.

¹Blair PS, Fleming PJ, Smith IJ, et al. Babies sleeping with parents: case-control study of factors influencing the risk of the sudden infant death syndrome. BMJ. 1999; 319: 1457-1462.