"Bed-sharing 'raises cot death risk fivefold'," BBC News
reports. The news has featured in much of the media, with
headlines based on a large analysis of previous studies into the
risk of cot death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS),
associated with bed-sharing. Bed-sharing is where babies sleep
in the same bed as their parents. It has long been known that
bed-sharing with a parent who smokes or has consumed drugs or
alcohol increases the risk of SIDS. This new study aimed to see
if bed-sharing still increased the risk of SIDS in the absence
of these risk factors. The researchers found a fivefold increase
in the risk of SIDS associated with bed-sharing in breastfed
babies who were under three months old, had parents who did not
smoke, and when the mother had not had any alcohol or drugs. The
risk of SIDS was even higher when the parents smoked, drank or
used drugs. It is important to note that the researchers did not
conclude that babies should not be brought into their parents'
bed for comfort and feedi