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Safely Cosleeping When Bedsharing is RiskyHow to Sleep With Your Baby Despite Risk Factors
When circumstances prevent parents from safely bedsharing, mother and baby can still benefit by close nighttime contact by trying another method of cosleeping.
Certain risk factors such as parental use of sleep-altering drugs, obesity or a premature infant can make regular bedsharing unsafe. Risk Factors May Prevent Safe BedsharingSafe cosleeping is beneficial for mother and baby in terms of bonding, maximum sleep and ease of breastfeeding. For the baby, cosleeping has been associated with a number of physiological and psychological benefits including a reduced risk of apneas and SIDS, a stronger sense of security and higher self-esteem later in life. Unfortunately, not all parents can bedshare. If risk factors prevent safe bedsharing, or if bedsharing simply isn't working out for mother and baby, there is an alternative. While the term "cosleeping" is often used interchangeably with "bedsharing", the former simply means sleeping close to one's baby. By remaining within arm's reach, parents can provide many of the benefits of bedsharing such as quick response to a distressed baby, and the sound of breathing to regulate the baby's respiration. Safe Cosleeping Alternatives to BedsharingWhere risk factors exist that would make bedsharing hazardous, it is important to put the baby on a different sleeping surface to the parents, in order to minimise the risk of overlying. For many parents, the simplest form of cosleeping is to put the baby's cot or bassinet next to the bed. Babies can also sleep in a hammock suspended above the bed, allowing the baby to be gently rocked to sleep. If parents would prefer to have their baby closer, special cosleeping devices exist to make bedsharing safer. A "side-car" or "cosleeper" is a cot which attaches to the side of the bed, providing a separate but close-by surface for the baby to sleep in. A regular crib can be "sidecarred" by removing one side of the crib and pushing the crib close to the bed. However, care must be taken that there are no gaps between the crib and the adult mattress. Having the crib mattress a little lower than the adult mattress will prevent the baby from rolling onto the adult bed. Cosleeping "trays" also exist which can be placed in the middle of the bed – in these, the baby is at the same level as the parents, but the walls of the cosleeper prevent the parents from rolling into the baby. A variant on these "trays" is a product which surrounds the baby with two foam wedges, preventing the baby from rolling off the bed and providing a further barrier between parent and child. How well these products work for different families is largely up to individual taste. Some mothers find the cosleeping trays cumbersome for night-time breastfeeding, while others like their portability; some babies like the womblike environment of a hammock, while others prefer to see Mummy's face at night. Whichever model you choose, it is important to follow the general rules of sleep safety for infants. Babies should be placed on their backs, not tummies; cribs and sidecars should be free of stuffed toys and loose bedding which could pose a smothering hazard; and babies should not be overheated by excess clothing or bedding.
The copyright of the article Safely Cosleeping When Bedsharing is Risky in Infant & Toddler Health is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish Safely Cosleeping When Bedsharing is Risky in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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