Bed Sharing Safety
As noted above current studies address bed sharing as practiced in the united states and other western countries aap task force on sudden infant death syndrome 2005.
Bed sharing safety. To reduce the risk of sids your baby should sleep in the same room as you for at least the first six months months and ideally a year if you can swing it the aap says. While bed sharing is not considered safe by the aap room sharing is and can decrease your baby s risk of sids by as much as 50 percent. Besides the potential safety risks sharing a bed with a baby sometimes prevent parents from getting a good night s sleep. A three sided bedside or side car crib which attaches to your bed may be a suitable option if you want to be close to your baby but you have concerns about bed sharing safety.
Sleeping in the parents room but on a separate surface lowers a baby s risk of sids. Health canada does not recommend bed sharing. Bed sharing is just one of the ways that a family might co sleep but it is frequently practiced by breastfeeding mothers. Bed sharing means you are sharing the same sleep space namely a bed with your baby.
Furthermore bed sharing in an adult bed not designed for infant safety exposes the infant to additional risks for accidental injury and death such as suffocation asphyxia entrapment falls. Some sources publicize bed sharing as an unsafe practice. Before you bed share consider whether you are happy it is safe for your baby. How long should my baby share a room with me after birth.
I get asked all the time can i bed share safely. Bed sharing is when an adult or another child sleeps on the same surface as a baby like a bed couch chair futon or armchair. This is a small but significant difference. This suggests that bed sharing may be less safe for non breast feeders.
Bed sharing is a type of co sleeping. The aap does recommend the practice of room sharing without bed sharing. One of the biggest issues when it comes to bed sharing is safety.