October is SIDS Awareness Month.
In Ohio -- 3 babies die every week in an unsafe sleep environment.
Doctor Jamie Macklin from the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is here with one big reason babies are put in unsafe sleep conditions.
• A study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that among 8,207 infant deaths from 24 US states occurring between 2004 and 2012, 69% of infants were bed-sharing, including co-sleeping on a sofa or chair, at the time of death.
• According to preliminary data from Columbus Public Health, sleep-related infant deaths increased to 26 last year from 19 in 2015.>
*What is one of the most common reasons parents share a bed with their baby?
• One of the most common reasons parents say they share a bed with their baby is because mom breastfeeds – it's convenient and allows mom and baby to get better sleep.
• While the AAP does recommend breastfeeding, they do not recommend co-sleeping, bed-sharing, sofa-sharing, or chair-sharing to sleep. The AAP recommendations for safe sleep include room-sharing, meaning parents should sleep in the same room as their infants but not on the same surface.
o Keep your baby close by the bed in his/her own bassinet. With your baby beside you, you need only roll over, pick her up, and place her next to you to breastfeed. If your partner is willing to change the baby's diaper when necessary, you can fall back asleep once a nursing session is over.
o Soft chairs and couches are NOT safe sleep environments – don't be fooled into thinking that falling asleep in a chair or couch is a safe alternative to bed-sharing.
o When breastfeeding in bed at night, it is always best to create a safe environment, free from pillows, blankets, sheets or anything that could potentially suffocate the baby. Moms should wear warm clothes, sleep with one small pillow and tie back long hair.
o If you do fall asleep while breastfeeding, always move the baby back to his/her safe sleep space as soon as you wake up.
o Try to develop the habit of sleeping during the day when the baby sleeps. Some sleep deprivation is always part of the process of early parenting, but breastfeeding certainly disrupts sleep less than getting up and preparing a bottle of formula. And soon your baby will sleep for longer intervals.