Cosleeping in the news
A recent news piece is rehashing the pros and cons of cosleeping. It does a relatively decent job of presenting both sides, though it does appear to lean towards the “cosleeping is dangerous” camp. They do mention some of cosleeping’s benefits, and make some recommendations of how to do so safely. However, they fail to mention the problems with the CPSC’s study and their findings, and all but one of the listed dangers of cosleeping are related to unsafe cosleeping practices, not cosleeping itself. It’s like saying that crib sleeping is dangerous because the crib slats could be too far apart and cause entrapment of the baby’s head. The problem there isn’t inherently crib sleeping – it’s the design of the crib. Beds that are too soft, big gaps between headboards and footboards, etc. are hazards that can be eliminated. If you’re interested in a more scientific view and in depth discussion of sleep practices, I would recommend you check out Dr. James McKenna’s Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame.
