Milwaukie’s Campaign Against Co-Sleeping
While until recently the practice of co-sleeping was being discussed in individual pediatrician’s offices, Milwaukee has launched a campaign to inform parents about the hazards of co-sleeping. Mayor Tom Barrett and Commissioner of Health Bevan Baker recently rolled out a controversial new advertisement campaign intending to decrease the cities high mortality rate of African American babies, focusing on co-sleeping (Stephenson, 2011).
While this has set off a nationwide debate about the benefits and risks of the practice, the advertisement being used has also been called into question. According to a reporter from CNN the ad is intended to provide an “in your face” message to capture attention (CNN, 2011).
The print advertisement shows a baby laying next to a large knife with the caption which refers to the picture reading “Your baby sleeping next to you can be just as dangerous”. Underneath this is reads, "Babies can die when sleeping in adult beds. Always put your baby to sleep on his back, in a crib. If you can't afford a crib, call (414) 286-8620," (Stephenson, 2011).
"Look, co-sleeping in this country leads to infant deaths," said Nancy Snyderman, NBC's chief medical editor, on NBC's "Today" show. "But I think this (ad) is over the top, absolutely over the top."
Advertising executive Donny Deutsch countered Snyderman, by stating that if the ad saves even a single baby’s life it’s worth it.
Ad campaign designer, Gary Mueller, stated that in order to change long standing behavior you need to make people uncomfortable or there will be no motivation to alter a practice they believe works for them (Stephenson, 2011).
Yet as the controversy heats up, both pros and cons of co-sleeping are being argued.
Reported Benefits of Co-Sleeping
According to Pediatrician Dr. William Sears, the issue is around education. He stated on CNN that if parents are taught how to co-sleep safely it can have highly beneficial results such as decreasing anxiety in both parent and child and decreasing adrenalin and over arousal in the infant. Suggestions for safe co-sleeping he provided included using a bedside bassinette that attaches to parents bed, using a firm mattress, babies cosleeping only with mothers as he stated only mothers have the awareness of the babies presence even while sleeping, and not cosleeping when under the influence of any alcohol, drugs or medications.
According to Cosleeping.org, sharing a family bed when following safety guidelines promotes breastfeeding and bonding. This site lists a number of sites that support the practice however, many appear to be more opinion based than research based.
Reported Risks of Co-Sleeping
According to Elizabeth Cohen, Senior Medical Correspondent for CNN, co-sleeping is a dangerous practice that has resulted in 73 infant deaths in the past year in this country alone. She stated that of the babies who die while co-sleeping approximately a quarter asphyxiate when the parent rolls over on them and the rest die when they get caught between the mattress and headboard or stuck between the mattress and wall. While it’s been argued that thousands of families co-sleep safely with their babies with no harm occurring compared to the relatively few where infant mortality results, she asked since no one knows if they are going to be one of those few families why should anyone take the risk?
In a Policy Statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2005), examining the potential factors which have contributed to the decreased prevalence of SIDS in this country. The Statement reports that some of the decrease in recent years can be traced to diagnostic coding shifts attributing infant deaths that previously would have been diagnoses as SIDS to other causes including co-sleeping. The paper presents a review of the literature in the U.S. and other countries related to the risks of co-sleeping, leading the American Academy of Pediatrics to conclude the practice is hazardous and results in significant risk to infants and young children. Thus, they recommend that while it can be beneficial to have an infant sleep in the same room as the parent/s due to it being more likely that they will awaken if the child is in some kind of distress due to proximity, the infant should have their own sleeping environment separate from the parents. The Academy states, “A crib, bassinet, or cradle that conforms to the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and ASTM (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) is recommended. “Cosleepers” (infant beds that attach to the mother’s bed) provide easy access for the mother to the infant, especially for breastfeeding, but safety standards for these devices have not yet been established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” (2005).
In conclusion, many parents, especially mothers have reported that co-sleeping reduces their anxiety about their infant, improves infant sleep, decreases crying during the night, helps to increase sleep for the other since she does not have to fully awaken to breastfeed when the child is in arms reach increasing the ability to fall back asleep quickly when finished, and increases feelings of attachment. However, the Academy of Pediatrics, through a comprehensive review of the literature reporting the results of scientific studies on the practice of co-sleeping have recommended that parents avoid sleeping in the same bed as their infants due to increased risks of infant mortality. They do however, recommend having the infant sleep in the same room as the parent to increase the likelihood parents will be able to help if their child experiences distress.
Sources
The American Academy of Pediatrics, (2005). Policy Statement: The Changing Concept of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Diagnostic Coding Shifts, Controversies Regarding the Sleeping Environment, and New Variables to Consider in Reducing Risk. Pediatrics, 116, 1245 – 1255.
Cosleeping.org, Co-Sleeping. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
http://www.cosleeping.org/
CNN, (2011, November 18). Co-sleeping With Your Infant. The Human Factor.
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