Cot Death linked to sharing a bed

Louise (Admin) · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:30 am Post subject: Cot Death linked to sharing a bed

More than half of cot deaths happen when a baby is sleeping with a parent, a study has revealed.

Researchers said this could be linked to the baby's parent having been drinking or taking drugs.

Despite a dramatic drop in the rate of cot death in the UK since the early 1990s, experts are advising parents to avoid dangerous co-sleeping arrangements.

The study was led by a team of researchers at Bristol and Warwick universities.

They studied all unexpected infant deaths - aged from birth to two years old - in the south west of England from January 2003 to December 2006.

The parents were interviewed shortly after the death and information was collected on alcohol and drug use.

A detailed investigation of the scene and circumstances of death was also conducted by trained professionals.

Of the 80 cot deaths analysed, more than half (54%) occurred while co-sleeping compared to one-fifth (20%) co-sleeping rate among both control groups.

Much of this risk may be explained by the combination of parental alcohol or drug use prior to co-sleeping (31% compared with 3% random controls), and the high proportion of co-sleeping deaths on a sofa (17% compared with 1% random controls), say the authors.

A fifth of cot death infants were found with a pillow and a quarter were swaddled, suggesting potentially new risk factors emerging.

Lead author Professor Peter Fleming, Professor of Infant Health and Development Physiology at Bristol University, said: "It is really important that parents should not fall asleep with their baby on a sofa as it is very, very dangerous."

Lady Rachel · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject:

My eldest slept in the bed with me & my husband. Although I have to say I don't take drugs & I'm not a big drinker & we don't smoke. It was right for at the time as that was the only way she would sleep. she had such terrible collick that we all just slept where we fell asleep. I worried more when she went in her cot!!!

My youngest always wanted her cot from the word go

It's could to know the risks involved. I can remember checking them breathing all the time.

Julie C · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject:

Jake slept in with us when he was young as he had Croup & Asthma. We knew when he stopped breathing as we couldn't hear him as he rasped & barked like a dog

Take care luv Juliexx