Anti-cosleeping interview

[Babieseverywhere]

More biased information against co-sleeping on Breakfast TV (BBC ?)

Grr..again mixing up figures including sleeping on a sofa and/or with an older child/parents drinking alchol (all being unsafe co-sleeping practices) with normal safe cosleeping/

He reckons NO link between breastfeeding and cosleeping but there is a DEFINATE risk of cosleeping and death of a baby.

Opps, I disagree that there is such a definate risk and we happily co-sleep with both our children.

I watched this babies and it made me mad too. Did they mention cosleeping around the world? I think Sian might be MNer! Thought she was very good.

Yes, she was good wasn't she ?

I liked the way she tried to ask about the protective presence of a mother sleeping with her baby, which he said was non existant.

She also asked if the 'figures' could be divided into sofa/older children with the baby and safe cosleeping but he didn't really answer and just gestured to the clip of the poor mother who lost her little one Emoteive but no answer.

On Radio 5 the Professor in charge of the study specifically said that there was no link between non-smoking parents who had not taken alcohol or drugs sharing a bed with their bay and SIDS. He said that there was, however a strong link between falling asleep accidentally in a chair or on a sofa with a baby OR sharing a bed after taking drink, drugs or smoking and SIDS. He was very clear on this point. But the headline was STILL talking about co-sleeping. I've texted, rung and emailed, but I am not optimistic.

Why don't the SIDS lobby aim at a campaign which is proven would reduce the number of SIDS (through not all sadly)...i.e. People smoking around their babies.

I read somewhere that prevention of smoking around babies is likely to reduce the current SIDS figures by as much of 60% !!!!

That is something worth working on, as smoking as no benefit for the parent either.

Where as safe co-sleeping has very many benefits.

I reckon babies who sadly are lost with no known cause and found in their parents bed, would surely have the same 'lack of cause of death' in their own bed...wouldn't they ?

I heard that too seeker, Shelagh Forgerty definately said link was co-sleeping, which was not what the prof said

Cross posted with Seeker...thanks that is interesting and much more expected result of the study - I'll try and listen to that radio programme after the school run.

I too feel pretty pissed off and confused after that interview

I've been happily co-sleeping and breastfeeding my 9 week old DD2. I read that in some countries where co-sleeping is more common, the SIDS incidences are far lower.

I also thought Sian did a good job. But that man wasn't having any of it. Wasn't he a retired peadiatrician?

I just feed now, because this has put doubts in my mind.

I've co slept with all of my dcs.

just found this, just about to read it myself but thought I'd post it so you can all read it too. Just heard about the British Medical Journal's research on Radio 1's news.

I thought it was a typical "man" interview. He totally confused his message.

I don't co-sleep, but I have been in the place where I am so desperate for any amount of sleep, I have cuddled by baby really tight and put him in bed with me and we both got some much needed sleep. I understood perfectly Sian's "altered level of consciousness" that she has also felt when having a baby in bed.....and he dismissed it out of hand.....as only someone who has no idea what it feels like, could do.

I was/am very aware of all the SIDS guidelines, and chose not to co-sleep routinely, but understand that sometimes, it is necessary. At the hospital where I gave birth, it was encouraged.

OK, read report, it doesn't say ANYTHING different, ie, DON'T co-sleep if you smoke, have been drinking or have taken drugs.

It states that the 50%+ of babies that died of cot death were co-sleeping BUT the mothers were either drinking or taking drugs etc....

So can we safely assume that co-sleeping is perfectly OK as long as you follow the rules?

Was it the same guy who was on MN for a webchat a few months ago?

I've just emailed 5Live begging them to discuss this more with some proper experts!

Heinz let us know if you hear anything back. I have read all kinds about co-sleeping and it frsutrates me when you see interviews like this which put co-sleeping on a sofa on a par with co-sleeping safely in a bed.

My family already think I am nuts but I am certain I am doing the right thing for my baby (and for me, I used to weep with tiredness after getting up to dd upto 6 times a night).

Ok, so if suffocation isn't SIDS and my baby has her own blanket, no pillows etc I just cannot see how she is more likely to die lying next to. I understand being drunk or under the influence of medication and rolling on the baby but thats not SIDS. Why would her being close to me make her more likely to die of SIDS than on her own in a cot?

Hull, the professor who headed the study said categorically on Radio % that there was NO increased risk of SIDS if a baby co-sleeps IN A BED on a firm mattress with parents who had not smoked or taken drugs or alcohol. He said that very clearly.

Sadly, the the headline and the trails completely misrepresented him

I will do Hulla.

The way I have my bed set up is a child's bed rail along the side with a rolled up blanket wedged down there too so there's absolutely no gap. DD2 also sleeps on a special little mattress thing that has two sponge wedges on either side so she can't roll onto her front or towards me. She's also in a grobag.

That chap on BBC breakfast was very naughty and I think the BBC were also in the wrong to have allowed him on. He's given a very confusing and worrying message.

I'm really cross. I got to talk on radio 5 about political correctness and Jade Goody - but when it's something really important like this, they're not interested.

Jeremy Vine is bound to be talking about it at lunch.

sorry lunchtime , I have no idea what he talks about whilst he's chewing a sandwich.

Thanks for that seeker. I have been to baby group this morning and two others mums have said they're now going to try and put their dc in cots because they are worried. One has a 5 month old and the other an 8 month old.

I also disagreed with his idea that there is no correlation between the continuation of bf and co-sleeping (or that it was the other way round or something). I am sure some people would give up bf if they were sleeping separately to their baby. Afterall, getting up a couple of times a night to sit and feed a baby is such hard work and really takes its toll after a few days weeks months.

A friend of mine weaned her dd onto formula for this exact reason - so others could do the night feeds and she could use hungry baby formula in the hope her dd slept through.

I stressed like crazy and lost loads of sleep early on because I was so worried about co-sleeping, because of all the cot death literature you get given.

Co-sleeping was the only thing that worked!

When BB got older, I used to sit and BF him in a chair in his room at night (as I thought I should 'wean him off' co-sleeping) but would end up waking 2 hours later with pins and needles, and BB asleep in my arms. Surely that's more dangerous than co-sleeping? So we went back to co-sleeping and still do when necessary (or when I need an afternoon nap!!).