The arrival of a child is a time of joy for the whole family and we understand the parents’ desire to always be close to their baby. But at bedtime, babies should not stay in bed, either next to or in the middle of mum and dad. Let’s understand the reasons why.
The main factor is safety. Without protective bars, the baby may fall out of bed and, in the midst of pillows and blankets, may not breathe. Not to mention the involuntary movements of the parents during sleep that can reach the child without them noticing.
There is no need to be radical. It is important that newborn babies do not stay in their parents’ bed, but it is fundamental that they stay in the same room. This reinforces the affectionate bond between parents and children, facilitates night-time breastfeeding, and gives parents more peace of mind.
It is generally agreed and recommended that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in his own bed, on a flat and stable surface, without pillows or padded sides, dolls or cloths, with blankets and sheets no wider than the area below the shoulders and always facing upwards.
Babies should sleep in their parent’s room until 6 months of age
Babies should sleep in their parent’s room until 6 months of age and ideally until they are one year old. The warning comes in a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics. But there’s more. Babies should sleep in their parent’s room, but on a different bed or surface. The indications of the American Academy of Pediatrics report are aimed at reducing the incidence of Sudden Death Syndrome, as well as other factors that cause death in babies during sleep, such as asphyxia.
The baby’s bed must be in the parent’s bedroom for at least the first six months of life and ideally during the first year of life, as a way of preventing sudden death in newborns and infants. The room must not be too warm (the ideal temperature is around 20ºC) and the baby must not wear too many clothes. Bed sharing has been associated with an increased risk of sudden death. However, many of the studies that give us this data are not clear about other possible risk factors for the baby’s safety.
Sharing babies’ beds with their parents is, in addition to a cultural issue, a way to increase rest time for babies and parents and improve breastfeeding, and although it is not often assumed by families in consultation, most parents end up taking their babies to their own beds. More and more studies seem to conclude that bed-sharing, provided some safety rules are followed, does not seem to be associated by itself with an increased risk of sudden infant death nor with an increased risk of accidental death.
Studies carried out in sleep laboratories also show that when a baby sleeps next to its mother, there is a coordination of breathing in both and this seems to be protective. Sharing the bed safely makes it possible to breastfeed during the night, avoiding the danger of taking an exhausted mother who may fall asleep and drop her baby or accidentally suffocate her to a chair or sofa.
Having said this, bed-sharing must always be discussed in consultation with the Paediatrician as a topic in the life of families and parents must know the safest way to share the bed with their babies: the bed must have a barrier that prevents the baby from falling out, the baby must sleep between the mother and this barrier and not between the mother and the father, the mother must not use a pillow or blanket, avoiding surfaces which could cover the baby’s face and lead to suffocation, and the baby must always be placed to sleep face up, just like in his cot.
What are the major indications for reducing the risk of SIDS?
The indications of the American Academy of Pediatrics report to promote the reduction of Sudden Death Syndrome during infants’ sleep thus include, among others:
- Put the baby to sleep in a bassinet with a hard mattress, without a pillow, sheets, or blankets because these can cause asphyxia during sleep.
- Put the baby to sleep on a different surface from his parents, at least until 6 months and ideally until 1 year of age: sleeping in the parents’ bed can cause asphyxia or strangulation. For this reason, the baby must be put in a bassinet, near the parents’ bed. Sofas or armchairs are prone to cause asphyxia or Sudden Death Syndrome in babies. 90% of Sudden Death Syndrome cases occur up to the age of 6 months, so until that age at least the baby should share the parents’ room.
- Always put baby to sleep with his back completely down until he is one year old. This position, in which the head is always turned upwards, does not increase the risk of choking and aspiration in babies, even those with gastroesophagic problems.
- Breastfeeding for at least the first 6 months of a baby’s life is associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of Sudden Death Syndrome. Even if breastfeeding is not exclusive, the protective benefits of breastfeeding are also reflected in the baby.
