Just a quick post on a subject that bothers me because the danger of its practice still doesn't get universal acceptance in the pediatric community: co-sleeping. This is probably because a major pediatric celebrity (Dr Sears) still hold fast to the notion that it is alright, even beneficial. I will have to beg to differ on this subject. I spent a month in autopsy while in medical school. We would get about a baby a week, and most of the ones I had seen were victims of cosleeping. All of them were at least victims of being put to sleep in an adult bed.
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Just to be clear: co-sleeping is having your baby sleep in bed with you. Most other doctors (besides Dr Sears) believe that adult beds are death traps for babies with or without an adult in them. Even when Dr Sears went on Dr Phil, Dr Phil had to 'respectfully disagree' with him on the subject. And Dr Phil usually slurps his celebrity guests, so to make a stand, I was impressed. If you read Dr Sears website, he will make some convincing arguments and even state some evidence. But trust me, the evidence to avoid adult beds for babies far outweighs any studies he quotes.
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Since I've been at my current job, I've gone to 3 'codes' in which a baby arrived dead to the ER. Also, all three of these were in adult beds, some with other sleepers.
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Without the risk of death, I have to admit I have other concerns of the baby interfering with the parents' relationship. Sometimes bedtime is the only time parents get a chance to converse and touch base. Throw a baby in the middle, and you get no alone time for the two.
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Bottom line for me: leave the baby in the crib.
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