Hot Topic (6/22): Do you think co-sleeping is dangerous?
Sunday, June 21, 2009 - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,527941,00.html
Infant Dies as Someone Rolls Onto Her While Sleeping
Fort Wayne Police Officer John Chambers said Holley was pronounced dead at a Fort Wayne hospital Friday morning after police received a call about an unresponsive infant.
Someone had been in bed with the infant and apparently rolled onto her as they slept, police said. Officers haven't released details on who was sleeping with the infant.
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
Quoting Je_Jette_Poo:
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
Did the hospital say anything to you ?... mine was very emphatic that the baby HAD TO SLEEP IN THE .... plastic bin bassinet.
I did the same at the hospital and coslept with my daughter at home. I do not move when I sleep but my son had to be next to the bed in a bouncy because of reflux. I do not fully grasp how a person can roll over onto an infant and not know it. I understand it happens but it would seem to me you would have that heightened sense of awareness knowing they were in bed with you, at least I did.
Quoting Je_Jette_Poo:
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
Nah uh, they would come in and check on me to see if I needed pain meds or anything and never said anything about it.
I had to get a c-section, so I was there for 3 nights. The first time I was able to sleep, he slept int he bassinet next to the bed. The 2nd night, the nurse came in to hand him to me so I could feed him (They told me not to sit up and if I needed to wake up to feed him to call the nurse to come get him) and I fed him, and then we just fell asleep. The rest of the time he didn't go back in the bassinet.
Quoting Eilish:
Quoting Je_Jette_Poo:
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
Did the hospital say anything to you ?... mine was very emphatic that the baby HAD TO SLEEP IN THE .... plastic
binbassinet.
Yeah, I didn't move when I slept with my son either. I usually end up taking over the whole bed and my husband was shocked at how whenever our son was in the bed I didn't move an inch haha
I've heard some crazy stuff though, it just doesn't make sense to me! Me and my husband ran into this guy we used to hang out with and he was telling us about another guy we used to hang out with. This guy married this girl and they had a kid. When the kid was like 2, it was in the bed with her while they were asleep and she rolled over and killed it. I was like "how do you roll over a 2 year old and not know it?!?!"
Quoting stormcris:
I did the same at the hospital and coslept with my daughter at home. I do not move when I sleep but my son had to be next to the bed in a bouncy because of reflux. I do not fully grasp how a person can roll over onto an infant and not know it. I understand it happens but it would seem to me you would have that heightened sense of awareness knowing they were in bed with you, at least I did.
Quoting Je_Jette_Poo:
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
First, it doesn't say WHO was co-sleeping with the baby. It's easy to assume it was a parent but it could be someone who was babysitting, etc. They also didn't say if there were any other factors involved like medications, alcohol or drugs that caused the individual to be less aware of the child.
All that being said, to answer the question, no, I don't think co-sleeping is dangerous as long as it is gone about in a safe manner and certain precautions are taken. If there is someone who is going to be sharing their sleep with the child and they are on any drowsy medications or have a tendency to drink I don't think that they should co-sleep. Perhaps the use of a bed-side sleeper or bassinet near by would be a better option.
P.S.The hospital I gave birth in was also very anti-co-sleeping. They were strict about having the baby put either in the nursery or in the bassinet if you were going to sleep. However, I am an extrememly light sleeper. I would cosleep with my son and when I heard the nurse opening the door I would wake up and pretend I was awake the entire time. I think all of the nurses thought I didn't get a wink of sleep the entire time I was there.
All that being said, we still cosleep with our son and he's 6-months old. We are all happiest that way. He spent one night in his own bed and I didn't sleep a single wink. I kept worrying about him getting cold or waking up hungry and not being able to find me. It was almost a relief when I heard him wake up and start searching for his mid-night snack. I went and got him and brought him back to bed with us.
I don't know exactly when we will stop cosleeping. I guess it will be whenever he's ready or we get sick of him in our bed. Either way we are very safe-contious about it and I think as long as parents take the time to acknowledge and deal with the risks it's perfectly fine!
I do not think it is dangerous if done correctly.
Dr. Sears has good info concerning co-sleeping on his website.
Here's a summary: Dr. Bill's simple definition of co-sleeping: Mother and baby sleeping within arm's reach of one another. There's been so much confusion lately in the media about what co-sleeping means that I decided to come up with a simple accurate definition. As you will learn from the information below, the closer that mother and baby can sleep together the healthier it is for both of them.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t102200.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/handout1.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t071000.asp
I can only speak for myself and say co-sleeping is safe for my family. I know my habits and I know that I will never go into a deep sleep while co-sleeping with my children. My husband is the same.
I will say when my boys were first born, I was the only one who co-slept with the baby.
I wouldn't recommend letting other children co-sleep with a baby. Also if someone drinks alcohol... gets drunk or someone who is on drugs, should never co-sleep with a baby or a child.
This article doesn't say who rolled over on the baby...leads me to believe it wasn't the Mother.
I co-slept with all three of my children until they were seven. I never one time had a problem. I slept on my side with them in the crook of my arm. I never rolled on them nor did they ever fall out of bed. If done correctly, I think co-sleeping is a wonderful way to bond.
Quoting stormcris:
I did the same at the hospital and coslept with my daughter at home. I do not move when I sleep but my son had to be next to the bed in a bouncy because of reflux. I do not fully grasp how a person can roll over onto an infant and not know it. I understand it happens but it would seem to me you would have that heightened sense of awareness knowing they were in bed with you, at least I did.
Quoting Je_Jette_Poo:
I co-sept with my son until he was about 4 months old.
The first time I did it was in the hospital and he seemed to sleep alot better when he was in the bed with me, so I continued to do it until he seemed comfortable sleeping alone.
It can be dangerous, like in this case... I guess I just don't see how someone could roll over on their child and not know it.
Well, perhaps the person who brought the baby into the bed does..but persumably there is also a father? My husband was not necessarily aware of when I would pull the baby into the bed. I would nurse one side, and if they were still hungry or if I needed to change sides I was laying on, then the other...so, at one point or other, they were 'between' us in the bed. My daughter continued to get up out of her bed, even as a toddler, and she would squeeze herself into our bed, between us. My husband watched her one night..she stepped on my head and I didn't even move, according to my husband...
P
Eight Year Old Girl Given "Catastrophe Award" By Teacher
- Cafe GroupAdmin
on Jun. 22, 2009 at 12:01 AM