To Cosleep or Not to Cosleep?

Hello friends and neighbors.  I wanted to take a moment and talk about the newest edition to your family.  Those little newborn babies.  First of all, congratulations on your child and expanding your family.  Secondly, I want to explain a few health and safety factors to consider when it comes to the great debate, "To cosleep or not to cosleep?"  As a Health Educator, it is important that the best practice is known by people so they can make the best decisions for their families and those who cannot care for themselves. A little bit about me, my name is Barbara Jackson, I have my Master’s Degree in Health Education from the University of Central Arkansas and national credentials from the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). I am also a licensed training provider for the American Red Cross, American Heart Association and the National Safety Council teaching a variety of classes since 2007. One of the first things I like to mention to new parents is co-sleeping.  The University of Notre Dame has given a great comprehensive list as to why cosleeping/bedsharing with infants is not the best practice, here are a few of the key factors they mentioned. Please consider all factors so you are making an informed decision for you and your baby. 

Factors to consider before Cosleeping:

1. Both parents should agree and feel comfortable with the decision.
2. Be aware that adult beds were not designed to assure infants safety.
3. Bottlefeeding babies should always sleep alongside the mother on a separate surface rather than in the bed.
4. Do not place an infant in the bed with a sleeping adult who is not aware that the infant is in the bed with them.
5. Infants a year or less should NOT sleep with other/older child siblings.
6. Persons taking sedatives, medications or drugs, or intoxicated from alcohol or other substances, or otherwise excessively unable to arouse easily from sleep should not cosleep on the same surface with the infant.
7. Excessively long hair on the mother should be tied up to prevent infant entanglement around the infant's neck (yes, this has very unfortunately happened).
8. Extremely obese persons or others who may have difficulty feeling where exactly or how close their infant is in relation to their own body, may wish to have the infant sleep alongside but on a different surface, such as a cosleeper attachment.

Finally, it may be important to consider or reflect on whether you would think that you suffocated your baby if, under the most unlikely scenario, your baby died from SIDS while in your bed. Just as babies can die from SIDS in a risk-free solitary sleep environment, it remains possible for a baby to die in a risk-free cosleeping/bedsharing environment. Just make sure, as much as this is possible, that you would not assume that if the baby died, that either you or your spouse would think that bed-sharing contributed to the death, or that one of your really suffocated (by accident) the infant. While this is an unpleasant and uncomfortable topic, it is one that is worth thinking about before you make the choice to cosleep/bedshare with your infant.There are so many things that new parents need to be aware of with newborn children, I did not want to overwhelm you with so much information. So, now you know some of those things that might not be best practice with those newborns that cause babies to stop breathing, how can we be trained to help those babies?  Well this is how.  Being prepared and trained in CPR in order to help those infants is best practice.  If we notice a change in color and temperature of these children, this is a sign that they are no longer breathing.  We immediately need to jump into action and providing full service CPR with chest compressions and rescue breaths is the best, if you are unable or unwilling to do the rescue breathing, then you can perform what is called compression only CPR.  CPR will help circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body to keep organs and organ systems viable. It is important to activate the EMS system as quickly as possible to get advanced medical care for the child.   I hope this brief blurb on health and safety for infants inspires you to learn more and become a best practice parent and #beprepared for any emergency that arises.   Best,Barbara Jackson For more information on how to conduct infant, child and adult CPR, please contact me at 479-857-0715, bjackson72@me.com  or visit my website on other child development classes available.  www.preparednessandtraining.comSource: http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/