3Bed-Sharing and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
While bed-sharing with babies may have many benefits, it is actually not recommended by many health experts. Some studies have shown that this practice is associated with a higher level of sudden infant death syndrome. This condition occurs when a seemingly healthy infant dies suddenly during sleep without any obvious reason. While it is rare, sudden infant death syndrome is the most common cause of death in small children under 1 year old. The risk can be higher when parents take medications that make them sleep more or drink alcohol or smoke before bedtime. Bed-sharing with a low-birth-weight or premature baby would be riskier as well. [5]
