Let us just say from the get-go that Red Nose Australia recommends parents avoid co-sleeping with their baby to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
“The safest place to sleep a baby is in their own safe sleeping place in the same room as an adult care-giver,” Red Nose advise on their website.
They go on to say that sharing a sleep surface – such as a parent’s or family bed – with a baby can increase the risk of SUDI.
“A considerable proportion of SUDIs occur on a shared sleeping surface,” Red Nose tell us.
“Red Nose has very much a risk minimisation approach to co-sleeping,” Lorraine confirmed.
That’s a huge figure isn’t it? And one worth paying attention to. If you must sleep with your baby in the bed with you, here are some ways minimise the risks slightly.
“We would suggest in terms of reducing that risk is potentially to avoid having baby in bed with you under about three or four months of age,” Lorraine says cautiously. Again, she’s really not keen for parents to sleep with their babies at all.
“If the choice is to have a baby in bed with you, baby shouldn’t be wrapped up in a sleeping environment,” Lorraine advises.
“Babies should still be on their back,” Lorraine confirmed, in line with the usual safe sleeping guidelines.
“Adult pillows and adult bedding can be quite a risk,” Lorraine warned.
“A lot of the information would suggest that baby is at less risk in a co-sleeping environment if they’re on the side of one parent rather than in between both parents,” Lorraine advised.
And guess what? If you simply avoid co-sleeping altogether, you can minimise the SUDI and SIDS risks even more. Too easy!