Co-sleeping raises cot death risk

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene examined the individual records of 1,472 cot death cases, also known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDs), against 4,679 control cases.

They found that the risk of cot death among breastfed babies under three-months-old increased five-fold with bed sharing, compared to when a baby slept in a cot in the parents’ room.

The increased risk existed even if the parents did not smoke and the mother had not consumed alcohol or drugs.

The peak period for instances of cot death was between seven and ten-weeks-old. As babies got older the risk of cot death decreased.

The researchers estimate that 81 per cent of cot deaths among babies under three months with no other risk factors could be prevented if they did not sleep in the same bed as their parents.

They suggest that parents bring babies into their bed for comfort and feeding during the night, but place babies in a cot next to the bed to sleep.

According to the study, sudden infant death syndrome remains a major cause of death among babies under one-year-old in high-income countries.

It goes on to say that there is already a general consensus that sleeping with a baby increases the risk of cot death if the parents smoke or if the mother has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs. However, there are conflicting opinions as to whether bed-sharing in general represents a risk when these factors are not present.