Bed-sharing may not be a safe option for every family, as it requires extra consideration to remove suffocation hazards between parents and baby. That said, there can also be benefits to parent-baby proximity, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room-sharing but not bed-sharing.
Despite conflicting opinions in the U.S., bed-sharing is widely supported and practiced in cultures around the world, which leaves many American parents wondering: Is there a way to bed-share safely? It’s also thought that at least 50 % of families will end up bed-sharing at one point or another, but that it is often not shared with pediatricians due to fear of being “taboo.” However, if there are ways to bed share safely, experts argue that we should talk about these safety practices more, not less.
Below, we’ve rounded up fresh perspectives on bed-sharing safety.
From The Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory:
Dr. James McKenna researches safe co-sleeping and advocates for greater awareness around the practice, noting that it is generally a safe practice and that only certain types of co-sleeping would be dangerous. He
that the highest rates of bed-sharing worldwide occur alongside the lowest rates of infant mortality, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rates.has found
Here are a few takeaways he shares:
Room-sharing is a form of co-sleeping, always considered safe and always considered protective.
Bed-sharing is another form of co-sleeping that, depending on how it’s implemented, can be either very safe or very dangerous but not intrinsically one or the other.
Couch or sofa co-sleeping is dangerous as babies can and do get pushed against the back of the couch to suffocate.
Media coverage and even some studies fail to distinguish between what type of co-sleeping was involved when an infant dies, and medical experts disagree on how to deliver this nuance to parents. Some organizations call for the total elimination of bed-sharing, even when data shows it is couch-sleeping that is dangerous. Others, like Mckenna, the La Leche League, and the World Health Organization, support educating parents on what makes bed-sharing safer, including a clear separation from couch or sofa co-sleeping.
“Just as unsafe cribs and unsafe ways to use cribs can be eliminated so, too, can parents be educated to minimize bedsharing risks,” Mckenna wrote.
What makes bed sharing safer?
The La Leche League International advocates for this with the “Safe Sleep 7 checklist.” When these safety practices can be met, bed sharing can benefit the bonding and breastfeeding relationship.
Bedsharing is safer when:
There is no smoking in the home or outside
Parents are sober and unimpaired (no alcohol or medication)
Mother is breastfeeding
Baby is healthy and full-term
Baby sleeps on their back
Baby is lightly dressed and is not in a swaddle
Parent and baby are sharing a safe sleep surface, defined as:
A firm mattress
No extra pillows, no toys, no heavy covers
No nearby strings or cords
No cracks or wedges between surfaces where baby could fall