Doctor explains risks of an adult sleeping with an infant
(KSLA) - Child welfare workers investigate an average of 19 cases each year in Louisiana in which babies never see their first birthday because they suffocate while sleeping with a parent in a bed or on a couch, the state reports.
At least two recent cases of co-sleeping are bringing renewed attention to the dangers of bed-sharing or co-sleeping.
Shreveport police say a 2-month-old boy died while sleeping with his mother Monday afternoon.
And in Colorado, the parents of two babies who died while co-sleeping two years apart face criminal charges.
Recommendations released in October by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that parents never share a bed with their infants.
"Share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, preferably until the baby turns 1 but at least for the first six months."
Today on KSLA News 12 Now at 4, Dr. Michelle Yetman explained the risks of co-sleeping with a young child.
Yetman, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at LSU Health Shreveport's School of Allied Health Professionals, also shared some safety tips parents can make a part of their routine when laying their child down for a nap or to sleep at night.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services also offers the following guidelines:
- Your baby sleeps safest in his or her own bed
- Never sleep with your baby on a couch
- Never in an arm chair or with a pillow
- Never on a waterbed
- Never sleep with a baby or toddler while under the influence of medication, alcohol or drugs
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