Co-sleeping

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Co-sleeping, also called the family bed, is a practice in which babies and young children sleep with one or both parents. It is standard practice in many parts of the world outside of North America, Europe and Australia. One 2006 study of children age 3-10 in India reported 93% of children co-sleeping.^[1] Co-sleeping was widely practiced in all areas up until the 19th century, until the advent of giving the child his or her own room and the crib. In many parts of the world, co-sleeping simply has the practical benefit of keeping the child warm at night. Co-sleeping has been relatively recently re-introduced into Western culture by practitioners of attachment parenting. A 2006 study of children in Kentucky in the United States reported 15% of infants and toddlers 2 weeks to 2 years co-sleeping.^[2]

Proponents variously believe that co-sleeping saves babies' lives (especially in conjunction with nursing),^[3] promotes bonding, lets the parents get more sleep, facilitates breastfeeding, and protects against sudden infant death syndrome ("SIDS"). Older babies can breastfeed during the night without waking their mother. Opponents argue that co-sleeping is both stressful and dangerous for the baby,^[4] and argue that modern-day bedding is not safe for co-sleeping. They point to evidence that co-sleeping may increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ("SIDS"),^[4] and argue that the parent may smother the child or promote an unhealthy dependence of the child on the parent. On the other side, they note that this practice may interfere with the parents' own relationship in terms of reducing both communication and sexual intercourse at bedtime.

According to some advice, co-sleeping is likely to end after a year or two if the child is not forced to co-sleep. The child may choose a place of their own, possibly on a surface that would appear to be uncomfortable by adult standards. Hot weather and weaning can encourage this natural separation.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Safety and health 1.1 Advantages 1.2 Dangers 1.3 Products 2 Prevalence 3 References

[edit] Safety and health

Co-sleeping triggers conflicting advice among health care professionals.^[5] The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns against it. [1] However, many pediatricians, breast-feeding advocates, and others have harshly criticized the CPSC recommendation. [2]

[edit] Advantages

There may be health advantages to co-sleeping. One study reported mothers getting more sleep by co-sleeping and breastfeeding than by other arrangements.^[6] Further, it has been argued that co-sleeping evolved over five million years, that it alters the infant's sleep experience and the number of maternal inspections of the infant, and that it provides a beginning point for considering possibly unconventional ways of helping reduce the risk of SIDS.^[7]

[edit] Dangers

Co-sleeping is known to be dangerous when a parent smokes, but there are other risk factors as well.^[5] Web sites give advice on reducing the risks. Safebedsharing.org[3] [4]. Some common advice given is to keep a baby on its back, not its stomach, that a child should never sleep with a parent who smokes, is taking drugs (including alcohol) that impede alertness, or is extremely obese. It is also recommended that the bed should be firm, and should not be a waterbed or couch; and that heavy quilts, comforters, and pillows should not be used. Young children should never sleep next to babies, because young children sleep in a way that would allow them to roll onto a baby.^{[citation needed]} It is often recommended that a baby should never be left unattended in an adult bed; there may be a risk of falling to a hard floor even if the bed surface itself is no more dangerous than a crib surface.

[edit] Products

There are several products which can be used to facilitate safe co-sleeping with an infant.

• bassinets that attach to the side of an adult bed, and which have barriers on three sides, but are open to the parent's bed (see example product on Amazon.com).
• side rails or bed top co-sleeping products [5], to prevent the child from rolling off
• co-sleeping infant enclosures which are placed directly in the adult bed.

[edit] Prevalence

A study of a small population in Northeast England showed a variety of nighttime parenting strategies and that 65% of the sample had bedshared, 95% of them having done so with both parents. The study reported that some of the parents found bedsharing effective, yet were covert in their practices, fearing disapproval of health professionals and relatives.^[8]

[edit] References

1. ^ Bharti B, Patterns and problems of sleep in school going children Indian Pediatr. 2006 Jan;43(1):35-8
2. ^ Montgomery-Downs HE, Sleep habits and risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in infants and young toddlers in Louisville, Kentucky. Sleep Med. 2006 Apr;7(3):211-9. Epub 2006 Mar 27.
3. ^ McKenna JJ, Why babies should never sleep alone: a review of the co-sleeping controversy in relation to SIDS, bedsharing and breast feeding, Paediatr Respir Rev. 2005 Jun;6(2):134-52.
4. ^ ^{a b} Hunsley, M. The sleep of co-sleeping infants when they are not co-sleeping: evidence that co-sleeping is stressful.Dev Psychobiol. 2002 Jan;40(1):14-22.
5. ^ ^{a b} Mace, S. Where should babies sleep? Community Pract. 2006 Jun;79(6):180-3.
6. ^ Quillin, SI, Interaction between feeding method and co-sleeping on maternal-newborn sleep. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2004 Sep-Oct;33(5):580-8.
7. ^ McKenna J, Experimental studies of infant-parent co-sleeping: mutual physiological and behavioral influences and their relevance to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Early Hum Dev. 1994 Sep 15;38(3):187-201.
8. ^ Hooker, F., Sleeping like a baby: attitudes and experiences of bedsharing in northeast England. Med Anthropol. 2001;19(3):203-22.

See also, Keller, M.A., and W.A. Goldberg (2004). "Co-sleeping: Help or hindrance for young children's independence?". Infant and Child Development 13 (December): 369-388. DOI:10.1002/icd.365.