More babies share parents' beds despite risk of sudden infant death syndrome
CHICAGO (AP) — The government's latest infant bed-sharing numbers show a troubling trend...
CHICAGO (AP) — The government’s latest infant bed-sharing numbers show a troubling trend. The percentage of babies sleeping with parents or another child more than doubled since the early 1990s. That’s despite public health messages linking the practice with sudden infant death syndrome.
Nearly 14 percent of adults surveyed in 2010 said their babies usually shared a bed. That’s versus about 7 percent in 1993, and the increase was mainly among blacks and Hispanics.
Many parents said doctors had never mentioned the risks.
Researcher Marian Willinger of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says the results raise concerns given prominent anti-SIDS campaigns and blacks’ increased risks for SIDS.
The study was published online Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.
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