SIDS book that will blow your mind....

[Just Me]

i agree mayaness...people dont talk about it enough so they dont get judged or offend anyone, but the facts speak volumes. Noone can blame any single factor for sids, but i have read alot about possible contributors. Its called COT death for a reason! i think i read another post on here at some point about that, if there was a thing called 'chair death' we wouldnt sit our babies in a chair for 8-10 hours at a time, would we!? Like others have said, In Asian countries...Japan etc...SIDS cases are very low, and co-sleeping is the norm.

I think cot death tends to be quite misleading name for it because it does happen in other places and for a variety of reasons.

I found this article very interesting as it says when statistics are analysed for co-sleeping, they are including statistics for parents that sleep with their babies in bed or on a sofa. I really think two lots of statistics are being analysed at the same time and the results all lumped together: Hazardous cosleeping environments and risk factors amenable to change: case-control study of SIDS in south west England -- Blair et al. 339: b3666 -- BMJ

In light of this information, looking at the following article about parents getting up to feed babies on the sofa because they think it is 'safer' than putting babies in bed with them for feeds in the middle of the night is actually leading to far more deaths as sleeping with a baby on a lounge chair is 25 times more risky than co-sleeping in a bed: Half of cot deaths 'happen when babies are sleeping with their parents' - Telegraph

And this article outlines how research is showing that co-sleeping is not increasing risk of cot death unless there are other factors present: Sharing a bed with a baby does not increase risk of cot death, research shows - Telegraph

I realise these are all news articles with their own spin on what the research actually says, but it looks like the UK is making some headway with research and starting to show that it is not as dangerous as we are all made to believe.

Besides all of that, for my last two pregnancies, I have had to sign a piece of paper at the hospital to say that I had been informed that co-sleeping is recommended by the WHO as promoting a healthy breast feeding routine. My GP just about died on the spot, but it is what has been recommended to new mothers here for about 2 years now.

Sorry for going a bit OT but I thought I would respond to a couple of the other posts about this topic. I hope what I have written makes sense - it is late at night. I'm off to bed now. 'Night All

[Muppity]

Ok - I haven't read or heard about the book - but I am confused. I am trying to think of a way that red tape could be affecting the issue. Are you able to expand on this JellyBean?

[widdly]

just me - I love that your hospital is promoting cosleeping! I had to sneak my baby into bed with me at night and even then I got in toruble for trying to cosleep, they took him to the nursery so I didnt have to cosleep to keep him quiet....at the time I was a first time mum who went along with it, but now, GEEZ LOUISE, look out if they try and discourage me next time!

thanks for the info everyone

[Peg]

many researchers have linked immunization with cot death for a long time....there is a reason why the common cot death ages coincide with the immunization schedual.

besides that, a babies immune system doesnt begin working until 6 months of age so why they want to jab newborns with hepatitis B (which contains formaldahyde - a toxic substance that is not safe at any level) strikes me as just crazy! And the medical profession are supposed to be the informed ones, HA!

anyway, with regard to co-sleeping, I had all my babies in the bed with me until they were about 6 months old. It was wonderful to be able to breastfeed in bed without having to get up...and all my babies slept soundly.

I actually had my last baby at the Royal Womens in Carlton and I slept with bub in my bed...the midwives didnt bat an eyelid at it. So either times have changed, or they were too busy to notice.

[slyder]

On the topic of co-sleeping, it's something I have given some thought to, and can certainly appreciate the benefits. However, reading things like this still sway me:

Findings made by coroners, both in this State and elsewhere have repeatedly warned parents that sharing a bed with an infant markedly increases the risk of death, either by Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or by fatal sleep accidents including overlaying of the baby by another person, entrapment or wedging or suffocation by bedding. The risk of an infants death is heightened when the co-sleeper is a smoker and/or is affected by alcohol and/or drugs causing sedation. The infants tragic death provides another opportunity, firstly to remind parents of the very real perils of co-sleeping with an infant and secondly to point out to the public health authorities that there remains, in some sectors of the community, an ignorance of the risks associated with co-sleeping and hence the ongoing need for a public awareness programme.

[DANNIIM]

Yes please explain more Jellybean!!

Why is it that human interferance creates more problems?? eg vaccines

[DANNIIM]

Slyder i think a good alternative is those sleep/snuggly mattresses for infants, at least that way it would be pretty hard to roll onto your babe not intirely impossible though!

[Inanna]

I am time poor atm so haven't time to google but I would be very interested also...

Slyder I have co slept with all of my children & I always have at least one in my bed every night. I personally have never come near to rolling onto my child/baby... I hear that it happens but I do wonder about the circumstances as it's just this knowing that they are there yk?

Yes SIDS has been linked to vaccines