Falling asleep on the sofa with your baby ‘increases risk of cot death by 50 TIMES’
Falling asleep with your baby on the sofa can increase their risk of cot death by up to 50 times
BABIES are being put at risk of cot death by parents who insist on co-sleeping with them, experts have warned.
A new study by cot death charity The Lullaby Trust has found that 76 per cent have slept with their babies in the same bed, on the sofa, or while drunk.
All of those circumstances greatly increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Co-sleeping on a sofa or in an armchair was the most common risk, with 40 per cent of parents admitting to having done so in the past.
It might not sound like a big deal but an adult falling asleep on a sofa or armchair with a baby increases their risk of SIDS by up to 50 times.
12 per cent of survey respondents said that they smoked and shared a bed with their baby, while 9 per cent said they'd done so while boozing.
Advice for safer co-sleeping
Want to sleep with your little one? Here's how to do it more safely:
- Keep the space around your baby clear of pillows and duvets
- Always sleep your baby on their back
- Avoid letting pets or other children in the bed
- Make sure your baby cannot fall out of bed or become trapped between the mattress and wall
- Never leave baby alone in the bed
It is important to know there are some circumstances where it is dangerous to share a bed with your baby.
You should not co-sleep if:
- Either you or anyone in the bed smokes (even if you do not smoke in the bedroom)
- Either you or anyone in the bed has recently drunk any alcohol
- You or anyone in the bed has taken any drugs that make you feel sleepy
- Your baby was born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy)or weighed under 2.5kg or 5½lbs when they were born
Unsurprisingly, babies who sleep next to adults who smoke, drink or use drugs have a very high risk of sudden death.
133 babies die a year in co-sleeping situations.
The Lullaby Trust works to try to reduce those numbers by highlighting how dangerous co-sleeping can be.
It's not just the risk of accidentally rolling on top of infants that's the problem; risk factors can include things like loose adult bedding.
Jenny Ward, Acting CEO of The Lullaby Trust said: “Co-sleeping needs to be discussed with all families.
"We know from talking to parents that if they are told not to co-sleep they will then feel they cannot discuss what actually happens.
"As a result, they will not get important advice on how to co-sleep more safely. It is a reality that even if parents do not plan to co-sleep, many still fall asleep with their babies unintentionally.
MORE ON HEALTH
"Babies can and do die in high-risk co-sleeping situations.
"If given the right advice, parents can prepare for planned and unplanned co-sleeping that will help to mitigate those risks and reduce the chance of SIDS.”
That's why The Lullaby Trust has teamed with Public Health England, Unicef UK Baby Friendly and Basis to come with advice for safer co-sleeping.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours