Sleeping Like a Baby--An Introduction (Safer Sleep for Infants)

I had the honor of being asked to sit on a panel for the Keep Infants Safe and Secure (KISS) campaign (formerly, the Connecticut Safe Sleep Campaign) last week. As a certified childbirth educator and certified doula, I have many opportunities to speak to families about infants and how to keep their babies as safe as they possibly can. I had contacted this organization as I was finishing up work on my Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) Community Project because I had heard they were looking for “parent involvement.” For various reasons, I was not able to get involved at that time, but I did keep in touch with the organizers, and when KISS decided to put the Safe Sleep Symposium together, I was asked if I would speak for five to seven minutes on a panel after several mini-keynote speeches.

Now, I am one of those somewhat unusual people who actually enjoys public speaking, but this event, this situation was very, very different for me. I was to be speaking about bed-sharing, also known as co-sleeping, where parent(s) and infant share the same sleep surface. And I was doing so following mini-keynote speeches from folks who were clearly against the practice.

Here's the thing. I believe that parents have an obligation to research their decisions. I believe that if you're in charge of another person's life, it really is the least you can do. So, to me, information that is well-founded and evidence-based should be shared, both pros and cons, with parents who are looking to make informed decisions. It would stand to reason that the vast majority of people want to keep their infants safe, especially during sleep, right? So what is the heart of the issue here?

Throughout the history of humankind, and around the globe, the majority of cultures have slept with baby close to mom. This has been done in many ways, from cradles to sharing sleeping mats, and it is certainly clear that people a thousand years ago did not keep their babies down the hall in little “infant jails.” But it is equally clear that no one back then had a Sleep Number bed or a Tempur-Pedic bed or a waterbed (all three being noted as “death traps for babies” at the Safe Sleep Symposium, by the way, so DO NOT BED-SHARE if you have one of these!!) either. While sleeping close to one's baby probably has some instinctive and adaptive elements to it, we must consider that for those who do bed-share, we have to take precautions to keep our babies safe. And this is what I spoke about.

There has been a pretty raging debate going on around how we can support healthy infant sleep situations. As far as crib-sleeping, at least, the recommendations for safer sleep are easy to find. For the record, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now urges parents to room-share, with baby's crib in the parental bedroom, and to use a pacifier for sleeping, and to put baby on her/his back to sleep, among other things, because these things reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). And, hopefully at this point we all know “the only thing that belongs in the crib is the baby.” Infant sleep surfaces are meant to be firm (aka HARD!), and the infant's sleep area must be kept clear of anything soft or fluffy, anything with ties, etc. Here's a great handout on safe crib-sleeping:

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/BTS_safe_environment.pdf

From what I learned from the mini-keynotes last week, some of the biggest risks to the sleeping infant are suffocation, strangulation, entrapment and falling. Things that create these unsafe conditions include crib bumpers, drop-side cribs, ill-fitting mattresses, sleep “positioners,” Boppy pillows, recalled or inappropriately used baby gear (such as a bouncy seat placed in a crib or on a table). Again, the key here is NOTHING GOES IN THE CRIB (or near the crib) EXCEPT THE BABY. Sorry for yelling, but I am hoping someone hears me.

See part two for information on bed-sharing and co-sleeping!