Some families still opt to do this with newborns, despite pediatricians’ suggestion that a cot or bassinet next to the parent bed is a safer way to keep baby close. This week, Baddock et al. (
doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-3390) offer some further insight as to why the risks of bed-sharing may outweigh the benefits. The authors compared oxygen saturation, inspired CO2, and body temperature in 40 bed-sharing infants and cot--sleeping controls. Desaturation events were more common in the bed-sharing babies — although no SIDS deaths occurred. The role that repeated episodes of hypoxia and hypercapnia may play in babies who bed-share is not assessed in this study. Nonetheless, if you are as concerned as I was after reading this, then share the information with families who may find it convincing enough to avoid bed-sharing with their babies.
