Re cosleeping again

[James & Stephanie Fairbairn]

Original excerpt:   and one of the big no, nos is cosleeping. One of the paeds is on the SIDS committee and apparently there where two cases in our area last year, two cases too many.   Just curious - was that 2 cases of SIDS when babies were cosleeping , or sleeping in their cots.....??? Also, I have found the ref. for research into cosleeping and SIDS prevention; firstly that cosleeping babies breastfeed more frequently and larger volumes consumed (baby and mother don't waste energy in fully waking & getting up and then calming crying baby before latching on). This is postulated to have a general benefit on health if the baby was at risk of SIDS. Also, and more importantly the baby is in close proximity to the mother to receive breathing cues at times when his own is immature, and the fact that infants do sometimes have long gaps in their breathing pattern. REF for both of these points are; James J McKenna: "Is sleeping with my baby safe? Can it reduce the risk of SIDS?" Horizons 1 no.4 (spring/summer 1995). & same author, "The potential Benefits of Infant - Parent Cosleeping in relation to SIDS prevention" in SIDS in the 90's, ed. Torliev O.Rognum (Vancouver: Scandinavian Presss, 1995)   Steph.