... to think Mumsnet is giving poor or wrong information here?

[makesamesswhenstressed]

Article on co-sleeping

I haven't even finished reading it and I'm already hopping up and down - the baby getting rolled on by a parent or trapped between the mattress and the bed is not SIDS! It's suffocation. SIDS is quite literally sudden infant death syndrome - a (usually) unknown cause of death.

This is such an important subject - am I just misreading the article or is it misleading in the way I took it to be?

YANBU - I thought that there was only an increased risk is parents smoked/drank etc, not just 'especially if...'

Unless there has been new research I'm not aware of. I looked into this extensively when dc was young (6 years ago!) and it was actually likely to be safer as long as safety advice was followed.

You're right. There are two separate sets of risks - the risk of SIDS is increased by co-sleeping if either of the parents is a smoker or if either of the parents has been drinking. The risks of being suffocated or getting trapped are, well, the risks of being suffocated or getting trapped.

YANBU.
The article seems rather 'anti', albeit it purports to have a tiny benefits section too. No mention of supposed psychological benefits on parent and child.
Not sure about SIDS by falling out of bed at all! How high is the bed?!
The Japanese co-sleep as a matter of course and do not recognise SIDS.

Thank you. I'm so glad I haven't got my knickers in a twist over nothing.

I did a lot of reading about safe co-sleeping when that new research came out about 6 months ago. The reading I did suggested that co-sleeping was generally safe (provided guidelines were followed) but I'm crap as disseminating information, especially technical stuff like medical research so I can't add any informed comments to this issue without running the risk of getting stuff wrong and making myself sound like a prat.

Please can one of the better informed help me out? I thought SIDS risk was actually reduced if safe co-sleeping was taking place...

Yes OP that is what I thought too and certainly concluded when I looked Into it years ago - because being in close proximity with the mother regulates the infants breathing iirc. Dr helen ball did a lot of research into this. I can't link as on my phone but google may be your friend.

Not sure about new research though ..?

I co slept and it was brilliant for us. I could not have coped without it. I had to research it myself and found out which was the safest way to do it. I was given a leaflet about safe sleeping my the midwife which was along a very similar line to the advice you link to. I recently went to visit my sister in hospital after she had a baby. There was a huge poster (5 foot tall poster) with a very distressing rhyme about going to bed with baby and baby never waking again. There should be more distinction between co sleeping risks and SIDs.

The current adviceregarding SIDS from the nhs is to put babies to sleep on their backs in a cot in the same room as you.

Also, sometimes making it taboo and something you should NOT do is not a great idea. Because the fact remains it is often the last resort for sleep deprived parents, and if they are desperately trying to survive without co sleeping they are more likely to fall asleep with baby accidentally on a sofa or something, which is waaay more dangerous. Far better to explain to people how to set up and do it safely.

I think, in fairness to MN, no parenting site is ever going to come out and advocate co-sleeping 100%.

Because when that one baby does die from SIDS in its parents bed, fingers would be pointed, and then some.

I remember reading (I think in Deborah Jackson, lovely lovely book) that the Chinese, who almost always co-slept, at least in the past, had no word for SIDS. Because the rates there were so low as to be negligible and not need a word.

Obviously that doesn't prove anything, but I liked it. (co-slept until dd was 6)

When I had DS2 nearly 5 years ago I was encouraged to co-sleep with him in hospital. I carried on, following the guidelines and he's STILL in my bed. It's nice though, but I did buy a massive bed in the end!

YANBU

That article is awful.

I co-slept with four of mine and loved it. Would do it again too and felt perfectly safe doing so following the rules.

There is an excellent WHO leaflet on this that hardly anybody seems to know about.

Cat98 is right about Helen Ball's research - it relates to breastfeeding mums though rather than bottle feeding ones.

Hello there

Thanks for flagging this; we'll pass it on to the relevant team and let you know what happens.

Oh that's good Rowan.

It just needs the two things (SIDS due to unknown causes and suffocating etc due to poor co-sleeping practices) separating.

No worries. Looks as though it's an old article that we linked through to from more recent content - we'll get it reworded.

@Llareggub

When I had DS2 nearly 5 years ago I was encouraged to co-sleep with him in hospital. I carried on, following the guidelines and he's STILL in my bed. It's nice though, but I did buy a massive bed in the end!

haha, this was my experience with my DS2 too... got him out in the end but have a lovely superking bed to show for it

Can you link to the official WHO advice?

Co slept with both of mine - lovely memories that I shall never lose. That and the superking bed I got out of the bargain...

Right then - we've updated it now . Thanks v much for flagging