Sleeping Close to Baby

In February 2005 in their policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that for breastfed healthy term infants, mothers and infants should sleep close to each other to help with breastfeeding.

AAP cites this recent study* which found these answers about infant safety and sleeping close to or with parents:

Cosleeping with an infant on a sofa was associated with a particularly high risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
Sharing a room with the parents was associated with a lower risk.
There was no increased risk associated with bed sharing when the infant was placed back in his or her cot.
Among parents who do not smoke or infants older than 14 weeks there was no association between infants being found in the parental bed and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
The risk linked with bed sharing among younger infants seems to be associated with recent parental consumption of alcohol, overcrowded housing conditions, extreme parental tiredness, and the infant being under a duvet.

*Blair PS, Fleming PJ, Smith IJ, et al. Babies sleeping with parents: case-control study of factors influencing the risk of the sudden infant death syndrome. BMJ. 1999; 319: 1457-1462.

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