The Editor's Note: Beds and Babies
Nancy Jo Bykowski
Managing Editor, NEW BEGINNINGS
From NEW BEGINNINGS, Vol. 17 No. 1, January-February 2000
We provide articles from our publications from previous years for reference for our Leaders and members. Readers are cautioned to remember that research and medical information change over time
On September 19, 1999, the
United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recommendation
against family co-sleeping, citing research that seemed to show an increased
risk for SIDS, for suffocation, and for strangulation associated with
co-sleeping. While some mothers may stop bringing their babies to bed
with them as a result of this warning, it would be impossible to stop
mothers from sleeping while breastfeeding. The relaxing effects of breastfeeding
can cause a mother to doze off even if she isn't lying down at the time!
Lots of furniture used for
babies is, by its very nature, dangerous. A fall from a high chair or
changing table can cause serious injuries. Children have been seriously
injured by falls down stairs in walkers. Babies have strangled when
loose clothing gets stuck on parts of cribs. These dangers have been
known for decades, yet when they are publicized, parents are not told
to cease using those pieces of furniture. Instead, safety features are
added and the public is educated about precautions to reduce the risk
from these devices. Why the difference?
High chairs, changing tables,
walkers, and cribs match with Western culture's expectations for baby
care. Most people would find a suggestion to do without them to be ridiculous.
The prospect of feeding a baby without using a high chair would be as
astonishing to some people as the idea of feeding a baby without any
bottles.
Another reason lies in the
complex world of product liability lawsuits and insurance. As Peggy
O'Mara wrote in the November- December 1999 issue of Mothering, "Medical
recommendations regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood, for
example, are notoriously rift with fears of liability and the concerns
for special interest groups." Manufacturers of baby furniture wouldn't
have a market if people stopped using them for their babies, so those
manufacturers would put pressure on the CPSC to avoid a ban on their
products. Whether or not babies sleep with their parents, manufacturers
of adult-size beds will still have a market. They are unlikely to protest
against the CPSC recommendation because then they might have to make
safety changes. Paradoxically, making such changes could also increase
their chances of being sued. They are caught between a rock and a hard
place on this issue.
But parents are caught, too.
In the face of such a recommendation, what are parents to do? They will
do what they have always done --educate themselves about the risks,
real or perceived, and make the best choices they can in the context
of their family's values. One place to gather such information is from
Dr. Bill Sears' newly revised book, NIGHTTIME PARENTING. The May-June
1999 issue of NEW BEGINNINGS featured an excerpt
about the possible protective effects of family co-sleeping. Dr.
James McKenna, who has done groundbreaking research on the effects and
mechanics of co-sleeping, will speak at the LLLI Conference in Chicago,
Illinois, USA in July 2001. In a joint press
release with LLLI, Dr. McKenna stated, "While specific structural
hazards of an adult bed are important, the fact that they exist means
neither that they cannot be eliminated nor that all bed-sharing is unsafe."
Dr. McKenna also considers the conclusions and recommendations of the
CPSC study to be inappropriate because the authors based their findings
on incomplete and anecdotal evidence rather than hard scientific data.
Dr. McKenna believes that
co-sleeping can be a positive experience for a breastfeeding family
and should not be considered dangerous if parents follow these guidelines:
Parents should not sleep with their babies if they are smokers or have
ingested alcohol or drugs. Bedding should be tight fitting to the mattress.
The mattress should be tight fitting to the headboard of the bed. There
should not be any loose pillows or soft blankets near the baby 's face.
There should not be any space between the bed and adjoining wall where
the baby could roll and become trapped. The baby should not be placed
on its stomach.
Peggy O'Mara writes, "Over
the years, I've observed a progression in the life cycle of new ideas.
They are first ignored, then ridiculed, next attacked, and, finally,
assimilated. This process of social change can take decades." Perhaps
in this new century, the age-old practice of co-sleeping will be reassimilated.
Nancy Jo Bykowski
Managing Editor
Last updated Friday, September 29, 2006 by njb.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:29:41 UTC 2007.
