Co-sleeping - the *real* stats?

There is yet another article in the news today in which a coroner expresses his distress that people are still co-sleeping their parent, and highlights a case in which a 4-week-old baby died while co-sleeping.

Further details reveal that the baby was between it's parents, and that the parents had been drinking. As far as I'm aware, both of those things mean that it was a breach of the co-sleeing safely guidelines to do so in that case.

However, the coronor states between 55-60 babies die every year co-sleeping. That is a LOT of babies. Surely they can't all have been cases where the parents were breaching the guidelines?

I admit I do co-sleep sometimes, but I make sure I follow the safety *rules* if we do. I also plan to co-sleep with my impending new-born if it feels right for us (again within the guidelines). But, if the coroner really is right, that it's putting my baby in real danger to do so, I'd like to know about it.

What I'd like to see is a comparison of co-sleeping vs non-cosleeping baby deaths, in which it compares only babies being co-slept within the *rules* with babies in equally safe (non-smoking, appropriate temperature, natural fibre bedding etc) non-cosleeping environments. Has anyone seen anything like this and could point me in the right direction?

Saw that case too. Hideous. The parents were drinking until 5am!

I don't know that the information you want would be readily available. IMO I would say that the guidelines are breached the majority of the times when an infant dies in a co-sleeping situation - why would there be quite clear guidelines extracted from coronial findings otherwise? It's probably safer to advise against co-sleeping than promoting it for those few people who'd 'abuse' it.

I would love to see those stts too. I don't think I have ever heard of a baby who was co- sleeping safely dying. Of all the recent cases in the media there were safety guidlines breached. Parents drinking, sleeping baby with other children and co- sleeping on fold out couches.

Ive not seen anything like that, but if you search for stats on sids in countries were co-sleeping are the norm , say Japan. You might find something.

Having worked in a hospital I know first hand of 2 babies dying from co-sleeping from well educated, non-smoking healthy parents who seem to have done everything right. You have no idea whether for some reason those kids were always going to have a problem with SIDS or not though. Anyway, for this reason I tend to agree with the general recommendation against it but also have no problem with people who chose to do it. Those recommendations are made on statistics alone and can't really predict what will happen to you personally so I still think it's a personal choice - but those 2 cases scared the crap out of me because they really really looked like it shouldn't have happened to them.

These are some safety guidelines Linky

Sorry that reads more abrupt than I meant it to.

I hope ygwim ?

I was surprised to have it recommended by the birthing centre midwives too, Bowie. Although to be honest, I didn't think their recommendation was all that safe given the circumstances - I only had a single bed, bubs could easily have fallen off the side, and I was so wasted after being in labour all the night before with no sleep, I don't think it would have been safe. Not that I don't think it's possible to co-sleep safely, just that I don't think it would have been for me then.

Sorry, off topic a little... I'd be interested to see what you find, T_Rex. That does sound like a huge number!

Edited by Hopes

We co-sleep full time with Scarlett and did it part time with Clodagh. My understanding is that done properly it is an arguably SAFER way to sleep, given that most mothers across the world do it (just not in some industrialised Western countries when we expect and demand our children gain independence as young as possible). Having said that, I also absolutely appreciate that there are situations when it is very dangerous, ie when drugs or drink have been taken, excess tiredness above and beyond normal new mummy exhaustion, and very obese parent(s). I agree you need to follow the guidelines of safe co-sleeping

I agree Emmecat! I have bed shared with all my kids, generally full time, and tbh I was quite unaware of the controversy surrounding co-sleeping when I had my oldest. However, when I had my second I did look into the safety concerns and debate around it. From what I have read, because the guidelines for SAFE bed sharing can be quite confusing for some, it is safer for health professionals to advise completely against this practice. However, my belief (from my reading) is that when done correctly it can be safer, esp when compared with sleeping baby in another room.
Research has shown that Chinese families predominantly bed share, yet have such low rates of SIDS that they don't even have a name for it. Sleep studies have also shown that mothers are very good at tending to their babies need, even whilst sleeping, and are generally very aware of their babies when sleeping.
Another argument which is often used against bed sharing is it promotes dependence/ inhibits independence, however research has shown the opposite - and some studies have shown higher levels of independence at a younger age for bed sharing children. My DD2 is so freaken independent it drives me crazy - ever since she was little she wouldn't let us help her dress or eat etc...
A recent study has shown that the risks aren't solely with smothering babies but also with positioning of the neck/jaw. As these structures are immature in young babies you have to be careful so as not to raise babies head so their jaw is in contact with their chest as this can result in the tongue moving back and blocking their airway (similar to the concerns around babies in capsules).
For me, I feel much safer with my babies in my bed, where I can hear them breathing. I am confident that I am aware of where they are, but if I was overtired or had had anything to drink I definitely wouldn't have them in the bed. I think it's a very individual thing and definitely needs to looked at on a case by case basis...

thesaff wrote: Pudgy - there was no known reason for either bubs dying. So I guess technically it was SIDS but in a co-sleeping situation. Not really sure of the distinction though.

I think the distinction is huge. Would we classify SIDS deaths in cribs as dying because of being in a crib?