Mother accidentally smothers baby while breastfeeding

[SomeGuy]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232265/Breastfeeding-mum-smothers-baby-jet-falling-asleep.html

"A mother accidentally smothered her baby daughter to death on a flight after she fell asleep while breastfeeding.

The four-week-old girl was travelling with her Egyptian mother from Washington DC to Kuwait when the tragedy occurred on November 24.

A mother accidentally smothered her baby daughter to death on a flight after she fell asleep while breastfeeding.

The four-week-old girl was travelling with her Egyptian mother from Washington DC to Kuwait when the tragedy occurred on November 24.

Officers from Scotland Yard's Child Abuse Investigation Team are now dealing with the incident.

The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers said: 'Sitting up in bed while holding your baby is very dangerous, especially if you fall asleep.'

In 2004, Briton Lisa Briggs smothered her baby as they slept less than three years after losing another child to a similar tragedy.

Miss Briggs, 23, fell asleep while feeding five-week-old Keitha and woke in the morning to find her lifeless by her side.

Miss Briggs had lost her four-week-old
daughter Cerese in identical circumstances.
However the Royal College of Midwives said in 2006 there are some benefits for breastfeeding mothers to share a bed with their babies, and a blanket message advising them not to do it could be counter-productive.

Melanie Every, a regional manager for the Royal College, said: 'We know that there are many, many cultures and many, many women who will continue to share beds with their babies, even when they are advised not to do it.

'Now, knowing that, it's important to give them advice on the safest possible way of doing it, rather than just saying don't do it.'

Babies can die of suffocation when their airways are obstructed by lying against their mother - a phenomenon known as 'overlying'.
"

She was in business class.

did I say surely enough

IIRC, there is a theory that sleeping very near your baby enables the baby to breathe your exhaled gases, and that in turn helps to regulate the baby's own breathing. Considering that the air-quality in aeroplanes is generally fairly poor, I can't help wondering whether that was a factor in the baby's death.

OMG WTF, do those people on the 'Phorum' website actually exist? Utterly disgusting attitude. I feel completely disturbed by their comments. Feel like registering to their crappy sick site just to tell them so!
--These are exactly the people that can't read papers like the DM without employing their own common sense too.

Do people out there actually believe it is wrong to breastfeed? I feel so naive!!

Prettycandles I was under the impression the theory was to do with the baby being able to hear the breathing of those closeby and therefore regulate its own breathing?

Does anyone know?

There are some sick arseholes on that site, aren't there? Childless because no sane person would sleep with them rather than through choice in most cases, I would imagine.

Sad story - I had probs breadfeeding - 30f normal cupsize so 30gg breastfeeding with heavy old middle aged breasts - It was very very hard NOT to smother my little one - made bfing in public impossible - but I did my best and never when I was about to fall asleep - hence switching to bottle when he was quite young as there was only so much I could do and not put him at risk.

Absolute tragedy that story.

The people on the website say its Darwins Theory in action that makes breastfeeders kill their children. Personally I want to give Darwin a high five for showing us the removal of desire for children can save a while generation from being brought up by those crazies on the site. May they long continue not spawning!
I still have steam coming out of my ears!

they just don't know very much, do they? But I bet name-dropping Darwin makes them feel really clever....

I was terrified of doing this when I BF... thought about it constantly when I was doing night feeds

poor poor woman.

Understandably, I puffed out my own chest when writing Darwin {sticks nose in the air}-oops there I go again.

I am currently pregnant with DD1, I am now terrified of falling asleep when BFing.

Couldn't have enough sympathy for the poor woman, and then to have the media even suggest a hint of foul play just because she was feeding her baby?!

It is always kind of funny when a parenting board finds a childfree board (and vice versa). If you really want to have your brains turn to mush have a look at the cf_hardcore board on livejournal.

I am not sure I really want it but do you have a link Morloth? I am not very computer literate and have no idea what to do with that info.

ooooh no not linking, they might bloody well follow you back. Do a google.

Terrible tragedy

what is the picture all about though? An out-of-focus mother breastfeeding with a crystal clear bottle in the foreground???

Ok found it and never going back. First thing I read told me I am selfish to become a parent and suggested I am abnormal for wanting them-turn it round and right back at ya you peculiar people.

Don't have kids-good for you, hating those that do-disfunctional.

I feel like I've been pulled into a horrid world clicking on this post {sobs and firmly pushes head right back into the sand}

hmm, encyclopedia dramatica's description of it will do me fine.

I'm reassured by the fact that pretty much all the hits I got were people saying what loonies they were.

Yup, I frequent stupidfree and sfdrama on livejournal and to be honest they provide at least 60% of the stupids, so we wouldn't want to be without them.

I don't understand why Scotland Yard are involved, given the mother is Egyptian and was travelling from Washington DC to Kuwait - what's it to do with the UK?

Poor woman.

Because the plane landed in the UK, there aren't going to be US or Kuwaiti police to deal with it.

I have BF my 3 DC,always fell asleep whilst doing it overnight in bed.Was always amazed that I never dropped a DC,but feel that when you fall asleep,you relax your arms and the baby naturally lowers slightly,and can roll away from the breast slightly too,thus allowing air in,and the baby is usually able to pull off anytime they want.
I think the risk is small but still a risk. Most babies can pull away though,depending on position
Think its also instinct usually to hang onto your baby,and not drop them.

I feed in bed and often fall asleep. I have large breasts and DD2 will often get her nose all squished in when I am sitting up feeding, and will gasp and come off. It actually happens less frequently when we are both laying down as she sort of tilts back differently, but the couple of times it has happened, I wake the second she snuffles.

I also lay in a sort of recovery style position which makes me roll onto my back rather than my front (I have no way to describe it!).

I think she would be in MORE danger if I tried to stay awake feeding her tbh as I would end up sitting up to make myself more awake and either drop her or she'd get mixed in pillows etc

The plane was just a horrific accident imo

Sherby, that's such a creepy forum. WTF with some people.

What an awful tragedy, though I think the real story is probably about falling asleep whilst feeding a baby in a chair rather than breast feeding. I was terrified about falling asleep when feeding my dd at night, though was so exhausted I often did with her in my arms. I tried using a dining chair so that I was too uncomfortable to sleep, but still dozed off. I made the decision to feed lying down sort of on my back or front so that I wouldn't roll on her and slither down the bed when she'd finished. Obviously no duvet or pillows. I'm doing it now with my ds (6 months) as it's the only way I can get some sleep, though am aware that there's a risk involved.
What are the current guidelines? I know that statistically speaking, a cot or crib in the mother or other carer's room for the first 6 months is best, but no-one ever says what else to do other than co-sleep if they won't sleep in said cot or crib!