----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 4:26
AM
Subject: co-sleeping
Prof Andrew Fleming was in a great story on Today
Tonight in Melbourne tonight.
He is the co author of a large study into SIDs
reported in the BMJ 1999 , 319: 1457 -1462
In this study it was shown that the risk of SIDS
was halved if the baby slept in the same room as the parents -as did an
earlier New Zealand study. Prof Fleming said on Tv tonight that this was
whether baby slept in the same bed as mum or not . There is much research into
safe sleeping environments in this study.
I also had quite a bit of email corrrespondence
with James mcKenna during writing parenting By Heart -great info on his
website.
William Sears claims that the mother sleeping
close to he baby acts like a pacemaker to the babe.
-I have more "ammo" on co-sleeping in my
new book "100 Ways to Calm the Crying" (for release 3rd July) I would question
the two SIDS cases - were the parents (either parent) smokers? under the
influence of alcohol or ANY medication that limited their awareness of
the baby? On soft mattresses/ sofas? Using doonas (overheating - babes head
needs to be uncovered) Was the baby breastfed or not? Had the baby been given
any medication -there is a link between phenergan and SIDS- many SIDS babies
have been found to have colds -phenergan apparently affects swallowing and
breathing reflexes.
It is the sleeping environment, not simply
co-sleeping or not that poses a risk to babies.
ALso - how many SIDS cases were there at the same
time in cots -ie if your baby died sleeping in a cot would it then be
recommended that 2 babies died of SIDS in cots so we must all co-sleep? I dont
think so -While it is sad that any baby dies, the natural way is always open
to blame -if a baby died who was born at home we would be told this was
dangerous and no refs would be made to babies who die in hospital
By the way, did you know that the rumour about
"overlaying" came about a few hundred years ago when very poor women in Europe
confessed to their priests that they had deliberately "over;laid" their bubs
as they couldnt afford more children, so the Catholic church decreed that
sleeping with babes was dangerous.
Snuggle those bubs with their mums and
advise them to read a supportive book.
Pinky.
