'We can't just teach abstinence': How advice on bed-sharing with a baby is evolving

"So she began to research ways to reduce the risk to her baby. Bed-sharing has been found to be less risky for full-term infants in nonsmoking, sober homes who are exclusively breastfed: Check. Only the breastfeeding parent should sleep next to the baby: Check. Since babies are less likely to suffocate on firm mattresses and without loose bedding, Little replaced her pillow-top mattress and got rid of all of her blankets and extra pillows."

"Still, Little's decision conflicts with advice from pediatricians and public health advocates, who warn that bed-sharing increases the risk that a baby will die during the night. For decades, U.S. pediatricians and public health officials have been warning that the only way to avoid sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) is to stick to the "ABCs of safe sleep" - always have the baby sleep Alone, on their Back, in a separate Crib empty of any pillows, blankets, stuffed animals and crib bumpers."

Emily Little bed-shared with her first child for skin-to-skin closeness, ease of breastfeeding, and perceived naturalness. She researched risk reduction and implemented measures: exclusive breastfeeding in a nonsmoking sober home, only the breastfeeding parent sleeping next to the baby, replacing a pillow-top mattress with a firm one, removing blankets and extra pillows, pushing the bed against the wall and filling any gaps with foam. Pediatricians and public health officials warn that bed-sharing increases risk of sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and promote the ABCs of safe sleep: Alone, on the Back, in a separate Crib empty of bedding.

Read at Los Angeles Times