Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Bed Sharing Safely. Breastfeeding Significantly Reduces Risk
Posted May 13, 2013 08:53 am
TALLAHASSEE, FL – When it comes to the potential risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome from a mother sharing her bed with her baby, there is a push to change the message from "just don't do it" to "here is how it's done most safely." The shift is needed because co-sleeping will never be eliminated and not all forms are equal, according to Dr. James McKenna. For example, McKenna said, associated risks are nearly eliminated by breastfeeding.
Professor
James J. McKenna is recognized as the world’s
leading authority on mother-infant co-sleeping, in
relationship to breastfeeding and SIDS. In recognition
of his work in 2009 he was admitted as a Fellow into the
select body of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the world's most prestigious
scientific society. That same year and in recognition of
his extensive work with television, radio, and print
media he received from the American Anthropological
Association the “2008 Anthropology In The Media Award”
one of the top three awards presented to anthropologists
by the association in recognition of his distinguished
work in educating the public to the importance of
anthropological concepts.
"You get babies sleeping in lighter sleep and you get mothers who are breastfeeding sleeping in lighter sleep and that's a very significant difference as regards each being able to track and monitor and respond to the presence and physical activities of the other," he said.
The rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has dropped by about 50 percent over the past two decades, but it is still the leading cause of death for those ages one year and younger.
Another method that's safe is what McKenna calls
separate surface co-sleeping, where the baby is not in
the bed with the parents, but close by in the same room.
"Any time you can find a situation with a committed
caregiver sleeping within sensory proximity of the baby,
in a situation where each can detect and exchange
sensory cues of the other, wherever you get that
situation, you have a very protected environment," he
pointed out.
click logo to go to the Sleep Laboratory
At the same time, McKenna noted that there are
situations where co-sleeping is never appropriate, such
as on a sofa, recliner or waterbed. The other major
risks include bed-sharing while using alcohol and drugs,
along with maternal smoking.
"The mother having smoked during her pregnancy damages
the tissues of the baby's arousal mechanism," he
specified. "We know that any kinds of desensitizing
drugs or alcohol or sedatives obviously blunts mother's
'responsivity' to her baby."
McKenna is the director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral
Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame.
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