What are the dangers of co-sleeping?

PORT CLINTON — Every year, families experience the unimaginable loss of an infant due to unsafe sleep practices. While many parents choose to co-sleep, believing it promotes bonding or makes nighttime feeding easier, sharing a bed with an infant significantly increases the risk of serious injury or death. The facts Approximately 3,400 infants in the U.S. die each year from sleep-related deaths, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, bed-sharing increases the risk of sleep-related infant death, especially for babies younger than 4 months old. Infants who sleep in an adult bed can become trapped between a mattress and a wall, become entangled in bedding or be accidentally rolled onto by an adult. The risk is even greater if a parent is extremely tired, smokes, has consumed alcohol or has taken medications that cause drowsiness. The safest sleep environment for babies The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: • Always place babies on their backs to sleep for every sleep. • Use a firm, flat sleep surface such as a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets safety standards. • Keep the sleep area free of blankets, pillows, bumper pads, stuffed animals and loose bedding. • Share a room with your baby for at least the first six months but not the same bed. • Room-sharing saves lives. Bed-sharing increases risk. • No nap or nighttime sleep is worth the risk. Creating a safe sleep environment is one of the most important steps caregivers can take to protect infants during their first year of life. If you are in need of a crib, you may be eligible for our cribs for kids program at the health department. Call 419-734-6800 or email info@ottawahealth.org for more information.