Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- 1 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Definitions
- 2 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: An Overview
- 3 Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: An Overview
- 4 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: History
- 5 Responding to Unexpected Child Deaths
- 6 The Role of Death Review Committees
- 7 Parental Perspectives
- 8 Parental Grief
- 9 Promoting Evidence-Based Public Health Recommendations to Support Reductions in Infant and Child Mortality: The Role of National Scientific Advisory Groups
- 10 Risk Factors and Theories
- 11 Shared Sleeping Surfaces and Dangerous Sleeping Environments
- 12 Preventive Strategies for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 13 The Epidemiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: Diagnostic Shift and other Temporal Changes
- 14 Future Directions in Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy Research
- 15 Observational Investigations from England: The CESDI and SWISS Studies
- 16 An Australian Perspective
- 17 A South African Perspective
- 18 A United Kingdom Perspective
- 19 A United States Perspective
- 20 A Scandinavian Perspective
- 21 Neonatal Monitoring: Prediction of Autonomic Regulation at 1 Month from Newborn Assessments
- 22 Autonomic Cardiorespiratory Physiology and Arousal of the Fetus and Infant
- 23 The Role of the Upper Airway in SIDS and Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths and the Importance of External Airway-Protective Behaviors
- 24 The Autopsy and Pathology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 25 Natural Diseases Causing Sudden Death in Infancy and Early Childhood
- 26 Brainstem Neuropathology in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 27 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Sleep, and the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Respiratory Network
- 28 Neuropathology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Hypothalamus
- 29 Abnormalities of the Hippocampus in Sudden and Unexpected Death in Early Life
- 30 Cytokines, Infection, and Immunity
- 31 The Genetics of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 32 Biomarkers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Risk and SIDS Death
- 33 Animal Models: Illuminating the Pathogenesis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
11 - Shared Sleeping Surfaces and Dangerous Sleeping Environments
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 July 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- 1 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Definitions
- 2 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: An Overview
- 3 Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: An Overview
- 4 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: History
- 5 Responding to Unexpected Child Deaths
- 6 The Role of Death Review Committees
- 7 Parental Perspectives
- 8 Parental Grief
- 9 Promoting Evidence-Based Public Health Recommendations to Support Reductions in Infant and Child Mortality: The Role of National Scientific Advisory Groups
- 10 Risk Factors and Theories
- 11 Shared Sleeping Surfaces and Dangerous Sleeping Environments
- 12 Preventive Strategies for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 13 The Epidemiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths: Diagnostic Shift and other Temporal Changes
- 14 Future Directions in Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy Research
- 15 Observational Investigations from England: The CESDI and SWISS Studies
- 16 An Australian Perspective
- 17 A South African Perspective
- 18 A United Kingdom Perspective
- 19 A United States Perspective
- 20 A Scandinavian Perspective
- 21 Neonatal Monitoring: Prediction of Autonomic Regulation at 1 Month from Newborn Assessments
- 22 Autonomic Cardiorespiratory Physiology and Arousal of the Fetus and Infant
- 23 The Role of the Upper Airway in SIDS and Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths and the Importance of External Airway-Protective Behaviors
- 24 The Autopsy and Pathology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 25 Natural Diseases Causing Sudden Death in Infancy and Early Childhood
- 26 Brainstem Neuropathology in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 27 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Sleep, and the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Respiratory Network
- 28 Neuropathology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Hypothalamus
- 29 Abnormalities of the Hippocampus in Sudden and Unexpected Death in Early Life
- 30 Cytokines, Infection, and Immunity
- 31 The Genetics of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- 32 Biomarkers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Risk and SIDS Death
- 33 Animal Models: Illuminating the Pathogenesis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Summary
Introduction
Whether, and in what circumstances, the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) is increased when an infant shares a sleep surface with another person has been the subject of extensive and vexed debate over the past two decades (1-6). This is largely because of opposing views as to the potential benefits and risks associated with this practice. Researchers remain divided on their stance towards shared sleeping and SUDI. While the United States American Academy of Pediatrics has strongly recommended against sharing a sleep surface with an infant for many years (7-9), a number of researchers in the United Kingdom and Australia question labeling a common sleeping practice a “risk factor” to be advised against. Instead the circumstances, rather than the shared sleeping itself, are recognized as the potential risk (3, 10-12). Whatever one's personal standpoint, from a clinical perspective, parents are entitled to clear information about the risks and benefits of shared sleeping to enable them to make a well-informed decision concerning the infant care practices they adopt. Health professionals, in both hospital and community settings, play a pivotal role in ensuring that parents are provided with this information, ideally in a non-judgemental manner that is relevant to their specific circumstances.
This chapter commences by defining the important terms used throughout. Second, it examines the prevalence of shared sleeping in both Western and non-Western countries and cultures. Third, it reviews the evidence base concerning the benefits and the risks of sharing a sleep surface with an infant. Fourth, the use of a risk-minimization, as opposed to a risk-elimination, approach in the provision of safe sleeping advice and education is discussed. Finally, the recent move towards devices designed to overcome the risk associated with “direct” shared sleeping, while still maintaining the close motherinfant proximity needed to facilitate breastfeeding, is discussed.
Definitions
Various terms have been used in the literature to define environments in which an infant sleeps in close proximity to a caregiver, including co-sleeping, bed sharing, and room sharing.
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- SIDS Sudden Infant and Early Childhood DeathThe past, the present and the future, pp. 187 - 216Publisher: The University of Adelaide PressPrint publication year: 2018