BABY
Is Bed Sharing or Co Sleeping With Newborn Safe or Risky?
The decision to bed share or not is an important and personal one. We review the research.

Ăcrit par
Dr. Harvey Karp

I know what I am about to say may make me as unpopular as a nappy rash with some of you. But I hope you will bear with me, because the decision to bed-share with your baby or not is a critically important one.
What is Co-Sleeping With a Newborn?
Co sleeping (or bed-sharing) is as old as the hills. From our earliest days, parents and babies have slept together for protection, warmth and convenience. And this custom is growing in popularity: A survey by The Lullaby Trust of over 8,500 parents has shown that 76% have co-slept with their baby at some point.
However, many tragic deaths have been linked to the âfamily bed.â For that reason, scientists have spent a great deal of time evaluating ifâand howâbabies can safely bed-share. And some concerning results are emerging.
What Happened When Bed-Sharing Families Were Filmed
In one British study, researchers reported that most bed-sharing babies had their mouths and noses covered with a blanket or sheet at some time during the night. A third of the sleeping mums also accidentally rested an arm or leg on their babies.
New Zealand infant sleep researchers, led by Sally Baddock, further confirmed the face-covering risk when co-sleeping. In a study videotaping 80 infants (40 in cots and 40 bed-sharing), the faces of the bed-sharing babies were obscured a total of nearly 1 hour per night! Typically, the mum or baby cleared the blanket away. But a quarter of those who experienced head covering awoke in the morning, still under bedding. That is pretty unnerving.
Baddock also found that bed-sharing babies fed 3.7 times more often during the night, and that a quarter of the dads ended up moving out of the bed. And, most disturbingly, these babies spent on average 5.7 hours a night lying on their sides (not their backs, which is a safer position). One bed-sharing baby rolled all the way to the stomach.
More Research on Co-Sleeping With a Newborn
Does bed sharing increase the risk of cot death? Studies from Germany, Holland, and Scotland have found that bed-sharing is connected to an increased SIDS risk for babies under 3-4 months of age (and even older, if the parents smoked cigarettes).
On the other hand, bed-sharing Japanese babies have not been found to have a higher SIDS rate (possibly because they are sleepÂing on hard futons). And studies in England, Canada and the United States found no increased bed-sharing risk with parents who are sober, attentive and nonsmoking.
My Advice on Co-Sleeping with Newborn
Is there a safe way to co-sleep? After carefully considering all the current studies, most medical groups including the National Health Service, advise that babies sleep in their own cot. And I agree.
While I love bed-sharing with older children, I am too nervous about it during the first 6 months (or the first year, if your family has elevated risk factors.) I believe the safest choice is to have your baby sleep right next to your bed . . . not in your bed.
Final Thoughts: Co-Sleeping With a Newborn
However, I fully understand how much new parents struggle with sleep deprivation. In fact, Happiest Babyâs motivation for inventing SNOO Smart Baby Cot was to tackle this very problem. Parents need an effective alternative to bed-sharing. In addition to providing a separate sleep environment, SNOO aids slumber for babies and parents, preventing the overwhelming exhaustion that nudges many families to bed-share in the first place.
With SNOO at your bedâs side, you can easily nurse and comfort your baby. And you will sleep more soundly knowing you have done everything possible to keep your child as safe as can be. To learn more about purchasing a SNOO click here.
Avertissement : Les informations prĂ©sentes sur notre site ne constituent PAS des conseils mĂ©dicaux pour une personne ou une condition spĂ©cifique. Elles sont uniquement destinĂ©es Ă titre d'information gĂ©nĂ©rale. Si vous avez des questions mĂ©dicales et des prĂ©occupations concernant votre enfant ou vous-mĂȘme, veuillez contacter votre fournisseur de soins de santĂ©. Le lait maternel est la meilleure source de nutrition pour les bĂ©bĂ©s. Il est important que, en prĂ©paration et pendant l'allaitement, les mĂšres adoptent une alimentation saine et Ă©quilibrĂ©e. La combinaison de l'allaitement au sein et au biberon dans les premiĂšres semaines de vie peut rĂ©duire la production de lait maternel de la mĂšre et il est difficile de revenir sur la dĂ©cision de ne pas allaiter. Si vous dĂ©cidez d'utiliser une prĂ©paration pour nourrissons, vous devez suivre les instructions avec soin.
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