Why experts recommend newborns sleep in their parents ’ room for the first year

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire If there’s anything parents of newborns are, it’s sleep-deprived. So getting the news that experts recommend that newborns sleep in the same room as their parents for the first 6-12 months was not exactly great news to those parents who are awakened by every snort and whimper. It also didn’t feel like great news to those couples that like a little, well, privacy from time to time. But here’s the thing: keeping your baby in your room can cut the risk of sudden death by 50%, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Every year, about 3,500 babies die of sudden unexplained infant death (SUID). Some die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), some die from accidental strangulation or suffocation, and some die for reasons we never figure out. While there is much we don’t know about these deaths, we do know that putting babies on their backs rather than their tummies to sleep makes a difference (some babies don’t lift their heads even when they can and should), as does keeping the crib as bare as possible (to prevent suffocation and strangulation). And the studies show that when babies sleep in the same room as their parents, it makes a difference too. We don’t know exactly why it makes a difference, but certainly it is good when parents can see and hear their babies and respond to them. While technology can help parents be aware of their baby in another room, it’s not the same as having them within arm’s reach. Becaus...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Parenting Prevention Safety Source Type: blogs