# LA news said 1 baby dies per week



## joyfulone (Oct 28, 2005)

... while co-sleeping with parents. I wish I had a link to the news report in type-written form, but I'm bringing it up because it was really disurbing to hear. The 4 o'clock news on ABC in Los Angeles played a clip of some official from maybe the coroner's office, or something, saying that one baby dies per week from co-sleeping with his/her parents. The report came on b/c a newborn was smothered by it's mother or father while in the Torrance Memorial Hospital. My husband and I co-sleep with our daughter, and we've been doing it since she was a newborn, but sometimes I think we're just really blessed and lucky that we never rolled over onto her, ourselves. I mean, how does anyone guarantee that they won't roll over on them?

I probably sound really ignorant, and maybe there is a special way to protect our babies that I've missed, but I'd love to hear any advice for how we can especially make sure we don't roll over on them like that report suggested happens every week in LA County.

Joy


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

How many babies die per week because they're alone in a crib? They're not giving those numbers, eh?

-Angela


----------



## mayamama (Jul 13, 2006)

My husband and I also co-sleep with our one month old and have since the beginning. I was also freaked out about rolling over onto her, but I think there's something that just keeps us from doing so. I lie on my back usually with my arm around her so she's just tucked up under my arm. However, my husband sometimes violently turns in his sleep and I have to remind him of our little one. She's been sleeping in the bassinet lately, but I also saw something on the internet, called a co-sleeper that like a little bed that just goes right in your bed between you. It was like $50 so I didn't get it, especially since it's only good until they start pushing up, and she's almost there! Good luck though.


----------



## Kaitnbugsmom (Dec 4, 2003)

found out why the LA papers and our papers here in Indy are carrying this crapola delight.







Parent company is the same, Gannett Media...


----------



## frontierpsych (Jun 11, 2006)

"I was also freaked out about rolling over onto her, but I think there's something that just keeps us from doing so."

same thing that keeps you from falling out of bed at night, I presume (and arguably-- people who tend to fall out of bed should probably not co-sleep)

I am planning to co-sleep, but I've definitely been looking at what factors play into the safety of co-sleeping to make sure I am 100% safe. (ie: no soft bedding, I'm not a heavy sleeper, not obese, etc.) Obviously there are viable arguments against co-sleeping under certain circumstances, but these need to be kept seperate from the general safety of co-sleeping. There is an ad campaign in Indiana that says "Never sleep with your child" and THAT I cannot agree with. There needs to be more information out there on co-sleeping safety rather than just telling people not to do it. (After all, the same ad campaign has ads about kids drowning in a pool, and it says "Supervise children at all times while they are swimming" not "Never let your child swim".

Okay, I'm getting off topic. Lets get back to the mystery man!


----------



## Sagesgirl (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:

same thing that keeps you from falling out of bed at night, I presume (and arguably-- people who tend to fall out of bed should probably not co-sleep)
That, and the same thing that keeps you from rolling over on top of your husband! (No, it's not just a matter of size.)

See, here's the thing. Although it is demonstrably less likely, SIDS can indeed occur even to babies who co-sleep. But there's a distinct difference in how the death is handled. If a baby dies while co-sleeping, then overlaying/suffocation tends to be the first, automatic assumption. If a baby dies in a crib, well then, it _must_ be SIDS, right? (Note: I'm not saying it _isn't_ SIDS, just that the same assumption should hold true no matter where a baby sleeps.)

You know who's behind the big anti-cosleeping push? Not the AAP, though they don't out & out endorse co-sleeping. The JPMA--the Juvenile Products Manufacturers' Association. In other words, the people who benefit economically if you _don't_ share a bed.


----------



## ~member~ (May 23, 2002)

Before cribs, how did we survive?


----------



## Sagesgirl (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaInTheBoonies*
Before cribs, how did we survive?









We left our cave babies outside so that the wolves could get them!









You make a great point, though. Historically speaking, co-sleeping has been the norm, except for the richest among us. Think about it for a minute.


----------



## Susuhound (Jul 5, 2006)

Oh please. Perhaps you should write in and ask them to do a feature on the 800 babies who die in the US every year because they are formula fed. Oh wait. that will make mothers feel guilty and that's not allowed....


----------



## pumpkinsmama (Aug 20, 2005)

The baby who died in the hospital, did they give any details, like was her mother on pain meds, recovering from surgery, blood loss? I've heard of far more cases where parents are in an "altered" state than normal, healthy co-sleeping. I didn't co-sleep without my little in the bed baby co-sleeper thing until I was off pain meds.

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaInTheBoonies
Before cribs, how did we survive?


----------



## paxye (Mar 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sagesgirl*
Historically speaking, co-sleeping has been the norm, except for the richest among us. Think about it for a minute.

Actually, only in our culture did the richest not co-sleep... and even then if they did not co-sleep they had nannies and wet nurses that slept with or close to the kids...


----------



## tash11 (Mar 12, 2006)

sounds like media bs to me.

its all about money. the makers of cribs benifit when people dont co-sleep. the news people get better rateings when they present shocking stories (like the 'ticketing for bfing in nyc' thing recently).

I have been co-sleeping for 6 months. I wouldnt have it any other way. (really I would have been more afraid to put her in another room when she was smaller then I would be to put her in the same bed.)


----------



## bebetuck (Aug 2, 2005)

As long as you co-sleep safely (not obese, no drugs/drinking, no soft bedding, not a heavy sleeper) I don't think you're putting your child at risk. In fact, I would rather be right next to my baby so if something happened I would have a better chance of knowing about it!

We started co-sleeping when DS was about two weeks old and I have woken up in some pretty darn strange positions, but I have never compromised his safety that I know of.

Damn those crib-makers, trying to make us feel bad for doing what we know is right for our babies.







:


----------



## muppet729 (Feb 15, 2005)

yeah, we had a stupid article not that long ago and the stats said that something like 51% of babies who die in their sleep are sleeping with their parents. It went on to encourage not sleeping with your kid....

Um, hello, I know I've been out of teaching math for a couple of years, but last time I checked, that still leaves 49% that are sleeping where? Hmmm...









I always hate those articles because there is honestly never any "meat" to them if you know what I mean. It's just scare tactics.

I like what the pp said about the pool- "always supervise (in other words, make sure they are safe)" not "Don't ever let your children swim."


----------



## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I also have to wonder if that baby had any other medical problems, diagnosed or otherwise, that contributed to the death. Who's to say the baby would have lived had s/he been in a basinnette?


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

I have a friend who lost her ds to SIDS at 4 mos, alone in his crib, so not co-sleeping didn't help them much.









I've been co-sleeping pretty much since AJ was born. I had a c/s and I just couldn't get up to help him so he slept w/ me. It's now my pg self, AJ who is 3 and Evan 20 mos all sleeping together. lol I've never rolled over on them or had them fall out of bed (o.k. I think once AJ slipped between the bed and wall, but he was almost 3 then and sleeping independently away from me).

We had an article last year about the dangers of co-sleeping too. Of course they included stories like the mom who slept w/ her baby on the couch after working a 12+ hour shift AND taking someone else's rx muscle relaxer and then her baby suffocated. Well, if you're not going to be smart about it, bad things are more likely to happen. Who sleeps w/ their baby (especially on a couch) while taking someone else's meds? That's a reason NOT to be a parent, not against co-sleeping.

I also recently read about a couple in LA who had triplets and then 3? yrs later had quads (or maybe it was the other way around) and already had 2 other children and all lived in a 1br apt. Well, I'm assuming they didn't have 7 cribs in their and having all those people in one room is not going to be healthy for anyone IMO and would probably increase the risk of suffocation, especially among the babies.


----------



## may05mommy (Jul 20, 2006)

My theory is that if the AAP said that co-sleeping was OK, then people who really _shouldn't_ co-sleep--extremely heavy sleepers, people who smoke in bed, people who drink or take drugs before they go to bed--would think that it was OK for them to co-sleep as well.

We've been co-sleeping since birth, pretty much. I had a C-section so I was on pain meds, so DS slept with my mother the first couple of nights after we got home from the hospital.


----------



## spiritmomma (Aug 29, 2005)

Quote:

found out why the LA papers and our papers here in Indy are carrying this crapola delight. Parent company is the same, Gannett Media...
ah ha!


----------



## cornflower_3 (Jan 15, 2006)

*


----------



## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

Honestly I hear a lot more babies dying from SIDS in a crib than cosleeping. Yes it does happen when cosleeping (my SIL's best friend lost her first dd from SIDS and they coslept), but that doesn't mean that cosleeping is the cause.

I can think of a time when my dd was an infant where I woke up for "no reason" and she wasn't breathing... scary but not a huge deal because I was right there to stimulate her. Had she been in a crib...who knows?

All I know, and what really is most important to me is this: My maternal instinct tells me to sleep with my babies. So I do.


----------



## pumpkinsmama (Aug 20, 2005)

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/...17761/117.html

Wanted to post the link to what I used when baby was small and I was on meds.

Also, to piggyback, I remember seeing some articles that said co-sleeping helps children NOT suffocate because the constant stimulation/interaction between their body and moms keeps them from getting to the deep sleep stage that lets them not wake when not breathing. Anyone know what I'm talking about? (of course being lay on etc. negates this benefit)


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ruthla*
I also have to wonder if that baby had any other medical problems, diagnosed or otherwise, that contributed to the death. Who's to say the baby would have lived had s/he been in a basinnette?

The parents were really young... 16 (mother), 17 (father)- probably uneducated on safety and put the baby inbetween them, on his stomach with a pillow... THAT was why the baby was smothered. It had NOTHING to do with a safe co-sleeping habitat. I was so irate at the news coverage... you can see my post about writing a letter. It was this story!


----------



## jlbaby (Nov 7, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tash11*
I have been co-sleeping for 6 months. I wouldnt have it any other way. (really I would have been more afraid to put her in another room when she was smaller then I would be to put her in the same bed.)









:
the thought of my small baby being in another room where i can't see or hear him (except through a cranked up monitor) freaks me out more than the (slight) possibility of rolling onto him. i am the world's softest sleeper since DS came along - every small noise has me cracking my eye open and reaching out to stroke his head, make sure everything is OK, etc. i personally believe the whole "SIDS" epidemic (i.e. "we don't know exact cause of death") is so tied into the vax world.........but i don't want to start that rant! drug and media companies in this country are *WAY* too powerful. it is so frustrating that their misleading messages reach so many people........rrgh.


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Isis*
The parents were really young... 16 (mother), 17 (father)- probably uneducated on safety and put the baby inbetween them, on his stomach with a pillow... THAT was why the baby was smothered. It had NOTHING to do with a safe co-sleeping habitat. I was so irate at the news coverage... you can see my post about writing a letter. It was this story!

See, that's how all the stories from media go when it comes to co-sleeping, it's very frustrating. I volunteer at a pgcy center here and they warn against co-sleeping, but then I remember reading that certain socioeconomic groups were at a higher risk for not co-sleeping safely and maybe that's why? They at least do go into how to do it safely if you have to co-sleep (can't afford a crib etc) which hpefully helps.


----------



## MyLittleWonders (Feb 16, 2004)

: What about a vax reaction? Is there a possibility the baby got the birth dose of Hep B and died as a result? That's the first thing that came to mind for me ...







:


----------



## CryPixie83 (Jan 27, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MyLittleWonders*







: What about a vax reaction? Is there a possibility the baby got the birth dose of Hep B and died as a result? That's the first thing that came to mind for me ...







:

That's entirely possible, but god luck getting anyone to own up to that







: It's far more acceptable (and profitable) to blame cosleeping than to blame vaccinations. Especially since, you know vaccinations are so safe...







:


----------



## NZmumof2 (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi all,

I'm new around here, I live in New Zealand with my partner Leah and our two kids, Bede 6 and Emmett 2. We've co-slept since Bede came home from hospital (6weeks old - born at 28weeks). One comment to add. Smoking is a HUGE issue if co-sleeping. If the mother has smoked during pregnancy the baby is much more likely to die while co-sleeping than crib sleeping (about 3 times as likely). Babies of smokers don't have the usual response to covers etc getting over their heads.

We were in a case control study here where Bede was wired to multiple monitors and we were infra-red videotaped while co-sleeping to compare with crib sleeping babies in the same room as their parents. Co-sleepers were found to get covered by blankets 5 times as often as crib sleepers, but they all had appropriate responses to this, freeing their faces.


----------



## bauchtanz (Nov 15, 2005)

I hate to say this but.........
My sister in law's sister's son died while co-sleeping and I don't think they were doing it stupidly. They baby was 2 months and was also BF.

They report came back that they were not "sure" what he died of. They didn't think it was suffocation, because there were no broken blood vesseles, but yet they were unsure.









Needless to say, it DID make me rethink my co-sleeping. I did decide to continue co-sleeping, but not after some real soul searching.


----------



## rozzie'sma (Jul 6, 2005)

Sometimes babies die, in their own beds or their parents. It's not fair but it happens.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rozzie'sma*
Sometimes babies die, in their own beds or their parents. It's not fair but it happens.









:

-Angela


----------



## katzmark04 (Feb 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Isis*
The parents were really young... 16 (mother), 17 (father)- probably uneducated on safety and put the baby inbetween them, on his stomach with a pillow... THAT was why the baby was smothered. It had NOTHING to do with a safe co-sleeping habitat. I was so irate at the news coverage... you can see my post about writing a letter. It was this story!

I think that this is an unfair judgment of young parents. I had my first at 17 and co-slept, I researched it, and decided it was what would work best for us. I now have a 4 week old who has joined our co-sleeping nest. I just think that you post makes young parents sound "uneducated"


----------



## muckemom (Jun 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Isis*
The parents were really young... 16 (mother), 17 (father)- probably uneducated on safety and put the baby inbetween them, on his stomach with a pillow... THAT was why the baby was smothered. It had NOTHING to do with a safe co-sleeping habitat. I was so irate at the news coverage... you can see my post about writing a letter. It was this story!

I am not trying to start a fight here, but the comment about the fact that the parents were young as the reason that they were "uneducated" about co-sleeping was crap. My then DP, now DH and I were very young when we had our babies, and I have 4 friends you also had their kiddlettes very young, and we all did a ton of research on everything before we decided how to parent our kids (i.e. no circ'ing, BFing and co-sleeping). We are working fairly hard not to perpetuate this idea of young parents being irresponsible.


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *muckemom*
I am not trying to start a fight here, but the comment about the fact that the parents were young as the reason that they were "uneducated" about co-sleeping was crap. My then DP, now DH and I were very young when we had our babies, and I have 4 friends you also had their kiddlettes very young, and we all did a ton of research on everything before we decided how to parent our kids (i.e. no circ'ing, BFing and co-sleeping). We are working fairly hard not to perpetuate this idea of young parents being irresponsible.

You are right, age might not have had anything to do with it but responsibility does come with age... These 2 parents put the baby on it's tummy on top of a pillow in between them... IRRESPONSIBLE? Yes! My post was to report on the tragic death of a baby and how it was upsetting to blame co-sleeping. I should have worded it correctly. That's great that you did so much research at such a young age but it seems to be rare at 16 (which you can flame away but I feel it's much too young to be a parent) and OBVIOUSLY, these parents didn't do their research.


----------



## muckemom (Jun 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Isis*
You are right, age might not have had anything to do with it but responsibility does come with age... These 2 parents put the baby on it's tummy on top of a pillow in between them... IRRESPONSIBLE? Yes! My post was to report on the tragic death of a baby and how it was upsetting to blame co-sleeping. I should have worded it correctly. That's great that you did so much research at such a young age but it seems to be rare at 16 (which you can flame away but I feel it's much too young to be a parent) and OBVIOUSLY, these parents didn't do their research.

Responsibility does not come with age. It comes from experience. And you didn't say that the parents were irresponsible... you said, "Uneducated" this is a very different connotation.


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *muckemom*
Responsibility does not come with age. It comes from experience. And you didn't say that the parents were irresponsible... you said, "Uneducated" this is a very different connotation.

OK, I understand what you're saying but were they not uneducated? Their baby died because they didn't properly take care of him. They were NOT educated in how to co-sleep safely or how to take care of a newborn. Twist it however you would like, they were irresponsible and uneducated. It's not to say all 16 year old parents are the same way but with age, comes experience, comes responsibility. I'm sure in some cases, it's different but in this case it was not. I think it's fantastic that at such a young age, you are or were (not sure of your age now) a great mother. You should be applauded for it, for sure.


----------



## iamama (Jul 14, 2003)




----------



## fconnolly1019 (Aug 8, 2005)

http://www.bfmed.org/ace-files/protocol/cosleeping.pdf


----------



## muckemom (Jun 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Isis*
OK, I understand what you're saying but were they not uneducated? Their baby died because they didn't properly take care of him. They were NOT educated in how to co-sleep safely or how to take care of a newborn. Twist it however you would like, they were irresponsible and uneducated. It's not to say all 16 year old parents are the same way but with age, comes experience, comes responsibility. I'm sure in some cases, it's different but in this case it was not. I think it's fantastic that at such a young age, you are or were (not sure of your age now) a great mother. You should be applauded for it, for sure.

Now I'm feeling sheepish... I really overreated. I see what your saying, and they were uneducated.. regardless of whether they were 16 or 36... I see your point.

I'm sorry - alot of my comment came from having a tough day at Parents Place (I'm at least 10 years younger than anyone there so I get a lot of commenting







) At any rate... I think the important thing is co-sleeping is awesome and hospitals and birthing centers should be handing literature out on how to do it safely... rather than just "Don't do it." To tell you the truth, even though we research it thoroughly, alot of our reasons were laziness...







its much easier to do nighttime feedings if they're in bed with you.


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *muckemom*
Now I'm feeling sheepish... I really overreated. I see what your saying, and they were uneducated.. regardless of whether they were 16 or 36... I see your point.

I'm sorry - alot of my comment came from having a tough day at Parents Place (I'm at least 10 years younger than anyone there so I get a lot of commenting







) At any rate... I think the important thing is co-sleeping is awesome and hospitals and birthing centers should be handing literature out on how to do it safely... rather than just "Don't do it." To tell you the truth, even though we research it thoroughly, alot of our reasons were laziness...







its much easier to do nighttime feedings if they're in bed with you.

And I feel bad for stating their age. It wasn't really an issue. I apologize if I upset you. Can we be friends?







BTW, your little boy is really cute. I saw your myspace page.


----------



## Tanibani (Nov 8, 2002)

http://tinyurl.com/l6fpw

*Newborn Suffocates Between Sleeping Parents*
The infant had been sleeping with the couple at a Torrance hospital. It was the third such death in as many days.
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Times Staff Writer
August 10, 2006

Carlos Franco died while sleeping on a pillow on his father's chest (not even a day old) at Torrance Hospital.

Quote:

The fatality was the third in as many days involving a Los Angeles County infant who died after sharing a bed with an adult, said Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the coroner.

On Friday, Daisy Lynn Harper of Los Angeles died 26 days after she was born. A day later, Dayanara Cervantes of La Puente, who was 46 days old, also died. Both infants died at home.

Bed sharing is being investigated as a factor in all three deaths, Harvey said. Investigators are awaiting lab tests before ruling on the causes, which could take six to eight weeks, he said.

These incidents underscore the dangers of infant bed sharing.








There is also a short Q & A.

Quote:

Question: Is it safe for one or both parents to sleep with their newborn child?

Answer: Sleeping with infants can be dangerous because of the potential for overheating, rollovers and suffocation. _Though some parents believe that sleeping with a child promotes bonding and may be necessary for breastfeeding,_ *experts say*







: it is safer for a newborn to sleep in a crib separate from the parents' bed.

Quote:

One study published in the May issue of Pediatrics showed that bed sharing infants "engaged in more feeding and more infant-mother interactions than cot-sleep infants."








Well duh, the research shows what co-sleeping/BFing families already know.

I'm going to e-mail the article to James McKenna, co-sleeping researcher and LLL speaker. He has asked (years ago) that people send him these stories so he can also keep track of the numbers.
http://www.nd.edu/~jmckenn1/lab/


----------



## embers (Mar 24, 2006)

The problem with reports like these is that it does not take into consideration all factor and attributes, or at least does not report on all of them.

Were drugs or alcohol involved?
Were there signs or instances of neglect or abuse?
What do they mean by co-sleeping... is it the same in every instance? Is it what we mean?

Etc...

Media. sigh...


----------



## guestmama9916 (Jun 24, 2006)

Well, if one baby dying per week is a national statistic, then its not that high. That's 52 babies a year compared to the 4,500 infants that die nationally each year from unknown causes (including SIDS).

Kim


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kimbernet*
Well, if one baby dying per week is a national statistic, then its not that high. That's 52 babies a year compared to the 4,500 infants that die nationally each year from unknown causes (including SIDS).

Kim

Wow! So true. Great point. And... what were those 52 deaths linked to? How were they suffocated, etc.


----------



## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

nm


----------



## Jessy1019 (Aug 6, 2006)

Along with everyone else, if it's done safely, co-sleeping is wonderful.

I didn't co-sleep with my firstborn (and felt ok about having her in a bassinette and then in a crib, it worked for us at the time), but I have an awful feeling about putting my son in a crib away from me. I don't know if anything bad would happen to him if I put him in a crib, but I know I don't feel right about it and that's reason enough not to do it, IMO.

He sleeps between me and a side that is attached to the bed (hard plastic and mesh) and I am usually on my side with my hand pressed next to his belly. I hardly move and have never come even close to crushing him. I feel pretty much every move he makes, anyway.


----------



## cfiddlinmama (May 9, 2006)

Is it possible that since all three babies in the article were born at the same hospital that they all received a "hot" batch of shots. Or they had reactions to routine antibiotics given? Etc etc etc..... It's amazing how they twist stuff. Like pp said - 52 babies a year, sad as it is, isn't as many as die of sids or cancer or vaccine reactions or anything. Definately a campaign needs to be started (continued) to educate people on how to cosleep safely.

I've coslept with all 4 of my kids. I've never rolled on them, ever. I once had a baby slip in between the railing and the matress, but she woke me up!

Those poor parents must be so heartbroken. Especially since the media is making it completely their fault.....


----------



## JamesMama (Jun 1, 2005)

Those poor parents








:


----------



## joyfulone (Oct 28, 2005)

Yeah, I just saw the article in the LA Times today, too (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...iewed-homepage) and it is so sad. It's terribly sad for all the babies and their parents, and it's also really sad for new parents-to-be who may potentially read the article and then decide that it seems too risky for them to bond with their babies while co-sleeping. I wish the hospitals could just put together some informative literature, or something, to try and educate parents on how to safely co-sleep, or something. Just like they have nurses going around to each room teaching the mothers how to work with any breastfeeding challenges they may have, it would be nice to talk to them about sleeping, too (which I guess is just a pipedream at this point until the Academy of Pediatrics endorses co-sleeping).

p.s.
It's been great to hear the examples people have shared about how they've gone about co-sleeping with their kids.


----------

