Safer Sleep for Baby – What You Need to Know |
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Want to start a rampage at your next family gathering? Mention that you’re considering co-sleeping with your newborn. Half your family will militantly oppose the idea, while the rest will rise up to defend bed sharing as the best way to handle nighttime parenting. And if you think that was fun, talk to your doctor about it. According to experts who informally watch social trends, bed-sharing has been on the rise for the last decade. Dr. Bob Sears, a board-certified pediatrician in San Clemente, CA, co-author of The Premature Baby Book and editor of www.AskDrSears.com, opposes the new AAP recommendations. He says, “I don’t think it’s very responsible for the AAP or the government to tell us to stop doing it. They need to teach people how to do it safely.” On the other side of the bed, Dr. Fern Hauk, associate professor of family medicine at the University of Virginia and a member of the AAP SIDS Prevention Task Force, says she stands behind the advisory: “I don’t see evidence to support that bed-sharing is a safe environment. Until someone can prove it’s safe, whether it’s SIDS, asphyxia or an unexplained death, it’s still a death.” Regardless of whether you sleep with your baby or tuck her into a crib, there are some must-haves. To sleep safely, your baby needs a firm, flat surface. The surface should be firm enough so baby can't sink into it, but not too stiff or hard. As well, your baby is susceptible to off-gassing from synthetic fibers, so we recommend an organic mattress made from latex, wool and cotton. The latex and wool are both antimicrobial and allow your baby to regulate her own temperature, which results in a deeper sleep and less tossing and turning. Nearly all experts, including researchers at the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, advise against sleep sharing in a waterbed because parental tossing and turning could send baby flying off the bed. Deep crevices around the frame also present a suffocation hazard. Sleep sharing isn't right for everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all or even an all-or-nothing solution. It may take some trial and error, but eventually you'll find a method that works for you, your partner and your baby. The important thing is to constantly re-evaluate your arrangement so that your family's needs are met. Bottom line: Know the hazards, learn how to protect your baby and do what you feel comfortable with… safely.
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