A call for help! (co-sleeping research needed)

Here is a link for The Mother-Baby Behavioural Sleep Laboratory at Notre
Dame. It is very supportive of co-sleeping.
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/introduction.html
I see from reading other replies that Dr. James McKenna (one of the
researchers) has already been mentioned.
Carolyn

"Em" wrote in message
news:l1gZb.362162$na.548892@attbi_s04...
(crossposted to MKB & MKP)

I found out at my LLL meeting tonight that the SIDS taskforce in town is
mounting an effort to have co-sleeping deemed a hotlineable offense (i.e.
you can be reported to the Division of Family Services *Child Abuse*
hotline
for co-sleeping with your baby!). Anyway, as a Breastfeeding Coalition
member in my town I have been invited to attend a meeting of the SIDS
taskforce (along with the LLL leaders). I don't even know where to begin
addressing this proposed co-sleeping issue. My baby is five months old and
my time available to spend doing internet research is severely limited. I
really don't want to go to a meeting with only, "I know I've read
*somewhere* that co-sleeping is good."

So, I'm appealing to the informed participants of this newsgroup: can you
give me reputable sources that indicate that co-sleeping is *not* a SIDS
risk? I know there are articles out there as well about how breastfeeding
can help reduce the risk of SIDS and I would appreciate direction to those
as well.

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months
(feeling a bit lazy asking others to do her legwork for her)

"Em" wrote in message news:l1gZb.362162$na.548892@attbi_s04...
(crossposted to MKB & MKP)

I found out at my LLL meeting tonight that the SIDS taskforce in town is
mounting an effort to have co-sleeping deemed a hotlineable offense (i.e.
you can be reported to the Division of Family Services *Child Abuse* hotline
for co-sleeping with your baby!). Anyway, as a Breastfeeding Coalition
member in my town I have been invited to attend a meeting of the SIDS
taskforce (along with the LLL leaders). I don't even know where to begin
addressing this proposed co-sleeping issue.

I *just* posted this to some groups I'm on. How apropo. :-)

-----------
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/faq.html I remember
when I first became aware of James McKenna's sleep
articles several years ago. I was so amazed that
there was actual research outlining benefits to shared
sleep- I had just thought it was easier than a crib.
:-) Jan Hunt has some good articles up too.
http://www.naturalchild.com/james_mckenna/

=====
Kate, http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~kolina/a...f-formula.html
Mom to Ursula (9!), Sage (6.5), Benno (3!!) Nature's way is
straight and unerring, foursquare and calm, great and tolerant.
Everything is accomplished without the necessity of fabricated
purpose. Man's way is equally self-evident. His internal
principles are correct; his external acts are righteous; his results
are certain. ~ I Ching (B.C. 1150?) Chinese Book of Changes
http://listserv.uts.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/parent-l
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Just-Moms/ :-)
-------------------------------------------

I know there is a lot more, but this should get you started. :-)

kate

(Akuvikate) wrote in message . com...
"Em" wrote in message news:l1gZb.362162$na.548892@attbi_s04...

So, I'm appealing to the informed participants of this newsgroup: can you
give me reputable sources that indicate that co-sleeping is *not* a SIDS
risk?

From the perspective of a co-sleeping mama who loves it, unfortunately
I can't. You can quote James McKenna, who shows that co-sleeping
babies' breathing is more in sync with their moms and attempt to
extrapolate that therefore SIDS rates will be lower. You can quote
Dr. Sears, whose research standards are, shall we say, very much his
own. But you can't find hard data that supports the idea that
co-sleeping is protective against SIDS. So far all the hard data
shows the opposite.

For this case, at least, though, she just needs to try and suggest
that co-sleeping isn't *more* dangerous, which is a much lower bar
than trying to prove that co-sleeping in fact protects against SIDS.
(I'm not trying to argue one way or another, just as to what the
argument needs to be, since I haven't seen any studies that have
really convinced me either way.)

Irene

Marie wrote:

When I had my babies, nothing was ever said to me about keeping them
in bed with me in the hospital, and I noticed the nurses would make a
note on the chart that the baby was in bed with me. A couple of times
I've been told by a nurse that I can put the baby in the bassinet
provided.

I was told I wasn't allowed to sleep with my baby in the bed, that when
I went to sleep she had to be in her bassinet. So I stayed awake and
held her. We went home the next day (rather than have me sacrifice
another night of sleep).

Leigh

Marie wrote:
On 20 Feb 2004 17:49:59 GMT, ojunk (Maryilee) wrote:

I don't know what the consequences are, but lately I've noticed at the hospital
where I work, that the social worker will be called in to "warn" parents of the
"dangers" of co-sleeping.


When I had my babies, nothing was ever said to me about keeping them
in bed with me in the hospital, and I noticed the nurses would make a
note on the chart that the baby was in bed with me. A couple of times
I've been told by a nurse that I can put the baby in the bassinet
provided.


However, nothing seems to be done in the case of the parents who are there with
their sick children and *never* pick them up or interact with them.


(
Marie

I was woken up by the nurses on duty and informed it was against
hospital policy for me to sleep with my baby in the bed with me. Then it
was noted in my record that I had been informed. I continued to sleep
with her in hospital. For one thing I had just had a c-section and it
was much easier to get the baby to feed her or burp her or hold her if
she was upset than to try and struggle out of bed and get her.

Larissa
DD feb 99
DS mar01
DD2 dec03

"Bruce and Jeanne" wrote in message
Em wrote:

(crossposted to MKB & MKP)

I found out at my LLL meeting tonight that the SIDS taskforce in town is
mounting an effort to have co-sleeping deemed a hotlineable offense
(i.e.
you can be reported to the Division of Family Services *Child Abuse*
hotline
for co-sleeping with your baby!).

Forget the research issue - what about invasion of one's privacy? Like
another poster suggested, then people should be reported for smoking in
the house of an infant.

Contact the ACLU

I know. Are they going to go about peeping into people's windows? I'm
beginning to doubt that they will ever be able to pull it off, but it is
scary anyway. I am already careful about who I tell that we co-sleep,
because there are lots of people who think it is hotlineable, even if it
isn't.

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months

"Akuvikate" wrote in message
"Em" wrote in message
So, I'm appealing to the informed participants of this newsgroup: can
you
give me reputable sources that indicate that co-sleeping is *not* a SIDS
risk?

From the perspective of a co-sleeping mama who loves it, unfortunately
I can't. You can quote James McKenna, who shows that co-sleeping
babies' breathing is more in sync with their moms and attempt to
extrapolate that therefore SIDS rates will be lower. You can quote
Dr. Sears, whose research standards are, shall we say, very much his
own. But you can't find hard data that supports the idea that
co-sleeping is protective against SIDS. So far all the hard data
shows the opposite.

Though moms and babies probably are evolved to sleep together, this
evolution didn't take place in the context of foam or innerspring
mattresses and pillows and blankets for warmth. Probably the safest
sleeping arrangement is mom and baby on a straw mat in a tropical
climate where no more than a light blanket is needed. At the same
time, making it a hotlineable offense is plain silly. Either those
proposing it are doing so as a publicity stunt or they're not too
bright.

Our Coalition has already decided to approach the discussion from the
perspective of, "how can we help people understand safe co-sleeping" as
opposed to a debate about whether co-sleeping is okay or not (if we can
steer it that way, anyway).

the brightness of the taskforce members. Apparently, they are basing
their stance on the Lancet article about bed sharing that was reprinted in
the local paper. Also, several members of the taskforce have lost babies to
SIDS. I think they are coming from a knee-jerk, emotional reaction.
According to the person that attended their last meeting, one member said,
"if this will save the life of even one baby, it will be worth it. I just
boggle at where they have chosen to direct their attention, when, as other
posters have pointed out, it could be directed to parents who smoke, etc.

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months

"Nina" wrote in message
Where in the name of God do you live?
My personal opinion "**** them", pardon my language.
If that's the case, lets report parents who drink even in small
amounts
smoke, take cough medicine, cook their eggs runny, feed their kids
beef
because SOMETIMES kids die from these things.

I live in Missouri. I also learned at my meeting (from a LLL leader who also
works for the DFS hotline), that having no air conditioning is hotlineable
here. I should ask her about runny eggs, etc.....

What makes me extra uncomfortable is the feeling that it isn't "safe" to
tell someone that I co-sleep, just in case they are going to think I'm a
child abuser :-(

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months

"Chotii" wrote in message

Aw, for cryin' out loud.

If they do this, they'd better make sure that smoking and formula feeding
are also hotlineable offenses, because those have at least equally strong
associations with SIDS.

(No offense intended to the moms who must use formula, but it *is* a scary
truth, see:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...PubMed&list_ui
ds=14709496&dopt=Abstract

or

http://tinyurl.com/2njnp

Also


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...PubMed&list_ui
ds=10443504&dopt=Books

or

http://tinyurl.com/2jvbt

Now please, do NOT turn this into a formula vs breast debate. This is a
'SIDS safety issues' thing. If co-sleeping is no more dangerous than
having
baby sleep alone in his own room (and it is not, if you look at the
numbers), then it should not be "hotlineable". How about putting baby to
sleep on his tummy? Should THAT be hotlineable? Should women be turned
into
CPS for putting baby to sleep on his tummy? How *about* smoking? That's
known to increase the risk of SIDS. This is stupid. But as long as
they're
being stupid, how about they be *consistent* and stupid.

I know. I don't even know how to begin with them. We were warned by the
person that tipped us off to the meetings that when we go, we will be facing
a very "hostile crowd." She said that she was the lone voice that questioned
the idea at all and said she was, "totally discredited." I'm getting
nervous.

Actually, I may well end up not going, because it is still unclear whether
babies are "allowed" at the meetings and I can't leave mine behind. Several
of my Coalition members are going though, and I'm passing along all of the
good information I'm getting here to them.

--
Em
mama to L-baby, 5 months

(Akuvikate) wrote in message . com...
"Em" wrote in message news:l1gZb.362162$na.548892@attbi_s04...

So, I'm appealing to the informed participants of this newsgroup: can you
give me reputable sources that indicate that co-sleeping is *not* a SIDS
risk?

From the perspective of a co-sleeping mama who loves it, unfortunately
I can't. You can quote James McKenna, who shows that co-sleeping
babies' breathing is more in sync with their moms and attempt to
extrapolate that therefore SIDS rates will be lower.

Any McKenna quotes should carry the following warning (in large type):

James McKenna's lab has NEVER published a peer reviewed paper comparing
SIDS death rates for co-sleepers to SIDS death rates for non-co-sleepers.
In fact, the lab has NEVER studied babies who died of SIDS at all!
Although it is true that McKenna is a big co-sleeping advocate, his most
recent postings do NOT claim that SIDS death rates are lower for co-sleepers.

You can quote
Dr. Sears, whose research standards are, shall we say, very much his
own.

I guess this is a polite way of saying "he's never published a peer
reviewed research paper in his life" (or at least not one that
I could find). This is quite surprizing, because he should just be
able to look at his own patient's records, and compare to SIDS
death rate to the city he is in. I know of one doctor who did
this, and found that ALL of his SIDS baby deaths were co-sleepers,
and none were cot sleepers. (And this was in the US, where cot
sleeping is more common!) However, he only had 3 SIDS deaths in
his practice, so the sample size is too small to be conclusive.


Joshua Levy