Co-sleeping worldwide! give me the stats! (channel 7 news report)

So channel 7 is giving my the craps this morning, they are doing a huge story on how dangerous co sleeping with a newborn is. DH is getting cross at me. im trying to tell him its not having the baby in the bed thats the problem, its not having a safe environment for the baby, covers, parent, etc. we know the rules.

I said that parents in asia co sleep all the time, and thier rates of co sleeping deaths are much lower than in the western world. i read it somewhere ages ago but i cant find it now!!

Any one know where i can find this info again, or something similar. something solid that sets out the reasons for a co sleeping death. like a break down of causes, smothering, parent rolling on, falling down between mattress and wall etc etc.

Cosleeping is safe if you are aware and this is really getting on my hoohaas!

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"The New York Times" recently took the opportunity to provide us with some great news from a new study: Cosleeping in the US has doubled since 1993 --- from 5.5 to 12.8 percent (other reports are higher). But, while the NIH report was neutral in nature, the Times just couldn't bring themselves to show us what good news this statistic could be.

The article also quotes that almost 1/3rd of Asian-American and African-American infants are regularly sleeping in adult beds, while only 10% of whites are. Overall, nearly half of all babies were spending at least some time in adult beds. While they quoted a couple of healthy-parenting experts on the cozy and sleep-saving benefits of cosleeping, they still had to print only this in regards to the safety issue: "The same results worry safety experts, who say the practice causes suffocation."

While many of the so-called safety experts won't be changing their croon due to ties with formula and crib industries, others have little chance of improving their understanding when one-sided information is constantly presented by the press.

The Times went on to quote a Dr. Bradley Thatch, professor of pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine, as saying he was "in the camp that thinks it's dangerous. In 50 percent of the sudden infant deaths in St. Louis, and 70 percent of those among blacks, bed-sharing was involved."

Well, Dr. Thatch, if you were to read other studies, you would learn that there is "good bed-sharing" and "risky bed-sharing." When the adult-bed sleeping infant is not accompanied by a conscientious, non-smoking adult, SIDS is higher.

It seems as though the Times had to look for someone experienced with a high-risk population in order to find a good quote. The population Dr. Thatch has studied is one classified as having many more teenage pregnancies and many impoverished areas with low education rates. More smoking, drinking, and drug use are expected in these populations on the whole. Along with St. Louis' large proportion of African-Americans, all of these groups are typically associated with more formula feeding (another high risk factor for SIDS). All of these populations have also been shown to have very high rates of bed-sharing, but more often with unsafe practices.

With a high level of risk factors, cosleeping can result in higher SIDS rates than crib-sleeping. With 50 to likely 70 percent of the St. Louis infant population sleeping in adult beds at least part of the time, many with higher-risk behaviors, it's no wonder that 50 to 70% of their SIDS deaths are found to have "bed-sharing involved."

Many studies have been performed to try to solve the puzzle of the sad SIDS rates in African-Americans. These suggest that the differences are associated with differing behaviors. African-Americans are still placing their babies to sleep in the prone position at very high rates. Prenatal care rates are low (a known risk-factor for SIDS), and low-weight births are far higher. One study reports that softer bedding and pillows are also more-often found in this at-risk population. This high SIDS rate is not reflected in many parts of Africa, where more natural parenting behaviors are practiced.

While equal percentages of Asian-Americans are regularly cosleeping, their SIDS rates are very low --- less than 1/4th the rate of African-American populations. Clearly, cosleeping itself is not the culprit.

It is important for us to know that certain populations typically have riskier bed-sharing practices, (and these need to be addressed in the proper frame of reference), but when worldwide statistics demonstrate how much safer cosleeping can be than crib sleeping --- when without smoke and drugs, and even better when accompanied by breastfeeding --- there is no benefit to making a blanket statement against cosleeping. Those who practice conscientious cosleeping for the increased emotional and physical wellbeing of their children (and for better sleep) should not be frightened and misled by one-sided, sensational, and inaccurate information.

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Not entirely sure if this is the article you are referring to but it mentions parents that are asian-american who co-sleep and the stats.

I totally agree if it is a safe environment for the baby it will be fine. We co slept from 6 weeks to about 6 months without any issues. We made sure she slept in a sleeping bag and was well away from the covers and blankets. Our next baby i plan to buy one of those things you put between the parents - i just woke up so my brain is still half asleep.

Ugh. Wouldn't expect anything less from ch7. We've coslept from literally birth. Went home 9 hours after birth and she was in bed with us that night.

We coslept while still in hossy. Nurses knew. They told me it was my choice, and went through the safest way to do it.

It is about practicing safety. I only coslept for all of about a week. DD didn't like it.

It was on sunrise just now


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im going to scream. i always watch channel 7. i hate this crap they are pumping out. :( :( :(

never mind telling people how to do it right, just ''put you baby in a cot'' *makes loud raspberry noise with mouth''

LMS....thanks for that!! :)

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We coslept while still in hossy. Nurses knew. They told me it was my choice, and went through the safest way to do it.

It is about practicing safety. I only coslept for all of about a week. DD didn't like it.

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That reminds me i was cuddling DD in bed with me in the hospital and a midwife had a go at me, then the next one just put the rail up to ensure she didn't fall out. DD from day one wanted to co sleep but i listened to everyone else and didnt allow her until 6 weeks.

We coslept for the brief time we were in the hospital. We did it safely and nobody mentioned anything except how cute and quiet DD was :)

i co slept in hospital with both,just what was right for us. With dd1 i had an epi and was so tired that first night so i didnt, the MWs came in and helped look after her.

if im sick i dont co sleep

if im too tired i dont co sleep

she doesnt sleep in the middle.

i think i need to have a swim to calm down :)

I'm still co sleeping here. love it. have done it with both kids from birth and would do it again.

Must be a slow news day. Channel 9 had the same story.

It's because of the Coroner's report that was released yesterday regarding the baby that died while co-sleeping.

Eta: I know this is a gentle parenting thread but I will attach a link to the story just so you know what I am talking about.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/co...129-1o59w.html

What a load of baloni. The mainstream news is so annoying! We saw it too and it didn't surprise us. We also coslept with ds in hospital and the government sleep Info we received said there were less cases of infant death with cosleeping babies when done safely. It's an issue like many other parenting decisions that people feel strongly about one way or another. In mainstream media it's always fear driven!

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It's because of the Coroner's report that was released yesterday regarding the baby that died while co-sleeping.

Eta: I know this is a gentle parenting thread but I will attach a link to the story just so you know what I am talking about.

Coroner warns parents not to sleep with babies

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Ok, I'm not normally one to defend the media, but in this case I think they are just reporting the news and expanding on the story. The Victorian Coroner has raised the alarm about cosleeping because there have been a significant number of deaths associated with co-sleeping in Victoria (something like 60 or 70 from memory). The Coroner is saying that parents need to be advised that it is not safe and that health professionals have previously been providing mixed messages in relation to it's safety.

From what I've seen all the news programs (ABC included) have been reporting the findings of this report by the Victorian Coroner in much the same way. I have also seen one or two bulletins where they highlight the increased risk factors (smoking, doona's, drugs, alcohol etc). But in fairness, it is the Coroner who has come out and said it is not safe under any circumstances and that parents need to be made aware of this.

For the record - I'm not anti co-sleeping.

OMG! they love harping on about co-sleeping being bad.
I agree there needs to be clear "rules" on how it should be done ie. baby has its own sleeping bag- does not share cover with the adults etc
When we were in hospital the drs didnt like me having DD in bed with me but co-sleeping is the norm I think the rate is about 80% for co-sleeping. It is a western idea that babies should have their room.
In 2005 their was a study published called- why babies should never sleep alone. If you can google it and read it is interesting.
personally, I think co-sleeping creates a secure loved feeling for the children. no suggesting to co-sleep for ever, room sharing is also great- particularly when you want privacy/ or baby is on the move in your bed too much.
But really to each their own really and some concrete guidelines need to be set for people to know would go along way

They call it cot death for a reason ;)

I have co slept for the good part of 17 years. 5 kids and one still currently co sleeping. Every one of my children are fine because we follow the guidelines on how to co sleep safely. Actually, just last night I had 3 out of 5 of my kids in my bed with me.
I just wish people would stop telling us how dangerous normal, natural practices are such as home birthing, baby wearing and co sleeping and instead put out how to do them all safely!

Cot death refers to the age of the child (being generally "in a cot") rather than the cot being the actual cause of death.

Some people can't co-sleep. I know I can't. I couldn't even sleep with my children in the same room as me. Everyone is different and everyone makes their own choices. As long as we respect each other's choices, rather than seek to change/criticise them, we'll all get along just fine.

Just remember Godwin.

What I don’t get is this:

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33 of 72 deaths during sleep had involved sleeping with other people or a pet

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Umm so that means 39 deaths during sleep involved babies sleeping alone. So doesn’t that mean babies sleeping alone is more dangerous???

And I would like to know how many of those 33 cosleeping deaths had un-safe cosleeping risk factors. How many of the parents had been using drugs, were extremely tired, there was too much bedding (pillow donnas), on a lounge or in a chair or with a sibling or a pet?

It is just so wrong (and makes me so angry) when authorities make such ridiculously blunt statements, i.e. “Don’t cosleep”. People will cosleep, cosleeping is the only option for some families (that allows some them to function), some people want to cosleep. “Just put baby in a cot” for some families, it’s just not that simple. We need information on safe cosleeping!!!

Lisa- I totally agree. These things are all natural so how are they unsafe? We should be educated about how to do these safely.

When will people start to accept that everybody has different ideas about how to raise their child and (within reason and logic) there are no real wrong ways, so many of the arguments can not be won, just discussed. Unfortunately there will always be deaths, there always has, but helping us to make informed decisions should be the goal, not scare mongering.

When I was in the hospital the nurses encouraged me to co sleep ...that was before I knew how good co sleeping was for your child.

As soon as we got home from hospital, and DS 'woke up' (began exhibiting signs of being the son of satan LOL) we started co-sleeping. Mostly because I was sore and struggled to get up out of bed every hour. I actually never planned to do it this way, nor did I want to. But it was the best thing for us all.

DS has gone into his cot in the last 2 months. But he still likes a good snuggle in the big bed with me in the wee hours of the morning. Now that he's bigger I do share a blanket with him, but it's light, and he sleeps by my head, so only his legs are covered. I awoke to find him spooning my back the other day, lol. I find co sleeping less stressful as long as it's just me and DS in the bed. DP has been evicted from the boudoir as he doesn't trust himself to be aware enough. And he smokes. And likes a beer or 6.

As long as safety is considered, I think co sleeping is fabulous. It saved my sanity, my relationship, you name it. So up yours, main stream media. I wish reports were more balanced. It's not fair to use such scaremongering tactics.

I have to add- just popping baby in the cot sounds easy, but many of you will know it's not that simple! It was co-sleeping, or no-sleeping for me. I remember many nights spent wearing 3 layers to keep warm without blankets. I'd sit up in a chair, pop DS in his sling, and put my dressing gown over the outside but wide open, just keeping my arms warm. As you can see, I'm a fan of improvisation.

This makes me really angry also. Safe co-sleeping is safer than baby sleeping alone, but it seems that there is a huge reluctance to tell people that. Instead it seems easier to just say "don't do it". But that is doing families a dis-service on so many levels. It's not giving them the information to make their own choice, and let's face it, at some time pretty much every parent is going to bring a baby into bed with them when the baby won't settle. So why not accept that and give people the information to do it safely. And co-sleeping in a bed is sure safer than a parent not taking the baby into bed with them because they've been told not to and then falling asleep with the baby on the couch.

I have heard James McKenna speak on co-sleeping - he is a brilliant anthropologist who has written books on parenting and promotes the safe co-sleeping message around the US. I love his work and he really makes sense with his messages. If only there were more like him. He will be in Aus again soon, hopefully the media will pick him up like they did last time and promote him on mainstream TV!