Lack of consistency in safe-sleeping messages to parents

Buckley, Sarah J

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01639.x

Topics

To the Editor: The concerns expressed by Byard and colleagues about “safe-sleeping messages”1 are based on the assumption that bed-sharing (mother and baby sleeping on the same bed surface) is intrinsically dangerous.

Brisbane, QLD.

Correspondence: sarahjbuckley@yahoo.com

1. Byard RW, Cains G, Noblet H, et al. Lack of consistency in safe-sleeping messages to parents [letter]. Med J Aust 2007; 187: 62. <MJA full text>
2. Blair PS, Fleming PJ, Smith IJ, et al. Babies sleeping with parents: case–control study of factors influencing the risk of the sudden infant death syndrome. CESDI SUDI Research Group. BMJ 1999; 319: 1457-1461.
3. McKenna JJ, Mosko S, Richard C. Breast-feeding and mother-infant cosleeping in relation to SIDS prevention. In: Trevathan WR, Smith E, McKenna JJ, editors. Evolutionary medicine. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
4. Ball HL. Breastfeeding, bed-sharing, and infant sleep. Birth 2003; 30: 181-188.
5. Rigda RS, McMillen IC, Buckley P. Bed sharing patterns in a cohort of Australian infants during the first six months after birth. J Paediatr Child Health 2000; 36: 117-121.
6. Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Physicians, Paediatrics and Child Health Division. Breastfeeding. http://www.racp.edu.au/index.cfm?object id=A4254F55-2A57-5487-DFE129631BCB4C59 (accessed Nov 2007).
7. UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative with the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. Sharing a bed with your baby. A guide for breastfeeding mothers. http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/pdfs/sharingbedleaflet.pdf (accessed Nov 2007).

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