Safe Sleep 7: the Dangers

Safe Sleep 7: the Dangers

Why La Leche League May Have Missed the Mark

I’m going to say this right up front: I do like La Leche League International (LLLI). So when I bring up Unscratched Sleep 7: the dangers, I’m not asking you to condone this veritably amazing, groundbreaking association. Far from it! (There are just a few caveats…read on to find out more.)

LLLI is non-profit, non-governmental, and since 1956 they’ve been helping moms unzip their goal of a healthy, happy baby. Five stars!

Their larger focus was initially on breastfeeding, which had gone off-trend in the generations prior. For a while, believe it or not, breastfeeding was considered “dirty,” unreliable, and junior to bottle-feeding.

In addition, it was associated with the poor, considering poorer families could not sire either a designated wet nurse or wipe snifter formula.

Psst!

Want to alimony Victual Safely at Arm’s Reach?

Reach for the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper.

But later LLLI took off to include health recommendations for infants. And I love that!

The problem? While LLLI gives safety recommendations wherever possible, their Unscratched Sleep 7 misses the mark in a couple of areas –– particularly with cosleep habits.

I don’t say any of this lightly. As an expert in the field of infant sleep, I constantly consult updated recommendations per the American Undertone of Pediatrics (AAP), as well as peer-reviewed research published on sites such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What I have found over the years is that there are a few GREAT tips from LLLI, a few that may need reconsidering, and then one or two that simply miss the mark when it comes to AAP-backed research.

That’s why you need to read Unscratched Sleep 7: the Dangers below. Remember, safety unchangingly comes first! Here is the LLLI’s list, including my expert-backed take on each.

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What is Infant Co-Sleeping?

Co-Sleeping can be specified in two ways:

• Sleeping in tropical proximity to a caregiver. (In other words, the infant/child is in the room, and probably tropical to the parents’ bed.) OR…
• Sleeping in the bed with the caretaker, otherwise known as bedsharing.

That’s important, considering what I’m well-nigh to tell you is why some of the Unscratched Sleep 7 dangers are well-nigh sleeping in the bed with the baby, not keeping Victual close. Increasingly on that in a minute.

What Unscratched to Sleep/Back to Sleep Has to Say

The Unscratched to Sleep wayfarers (formerly tabbed the When to Sleep campaign) is a unconfined resource, and one that had a big impact on how I raised my children and how I run my baby-centered business.

Safe to Sleep has helped reduce SIDS deaths in infants under by 50%. And among their recommendations is not sleeping in the same bed as your little one.

But that doesn’t midpoint there’s no way to alimony your victual nearby at bedtime. Which leads us to…

Can You SAFELY Co-Sleep?

Yes – you can have the security of stuff tropical to your little one while keeping him safe.

What you need in this specimen is a bedside trundle or cosleeper. My clients LOVE these. Just make sure you’re getting the safest possible bedside bassinet. And buy it new – safety standards can transpiration over time.

I just have to take a moment here to requite my favorite co-sleeper/bedside trundle a mention. It’s the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper bassinet. I love it considering it has all of the points I’m well-nigh to list below. If you don’t segregate the Arm’s Reach, that’s fine – just make sure the cosleeper you buy has all of the features below:

• Mesh sides for breathability/breathing safety
• Easy-access, secure panel at the side or one end so you can hands reach for your baby
• Pediatric-quality, firm mattress
• Has the correct sizing for your victual to grow

(What I love well-nigh the Arm’s Reach is that it has all the safety features, plus more! For instance, there is loads of storage zone so you aren’t fishing virtually in the dark. Plus it’s willowy and comes with its own sheet – make sure any sheets you buy fit the cot exactly!)

The Unscratched Sleep 7: What Are the Dangers?

Now let’s get lanugo to the Unscratched Sleep 7, the dangers, and whether each recommendation is a Solid Hit or Misses the Mark on your baby’s sleep safety.

1. No Smoking Inside the Home or Outside

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: SOLID HIT

Yes, I’ll be the buzzkill here. Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to a number of health issues, including a small lineage weight baby, premature lineage and prenatal bleeding.

After Victual is born, she will be exposed to the residue of tobacco smoke on your suit and skin whenever you hold her. You will moreover bring residue inside if you smoke outside. And if you breastfeed, your victual is getting nicotine and other dangerous chemicals every time she nurses.

2. No Alcohol/No Drowsy Meds

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: MISSES THE MARK

I stipulate that drinking is a no-no when caring for a new victual –– whether you breastfeed or not –– and that unrepealable medications, plane over-the-counter ones, can rationalization drowsiness. That’s not unscratched for either of you.

However, the suggestion at LLLI seems to be that this ways co-sleeping in the same bed will be increasingly dangerous for your baby. That’s true, but my recommendation is to try to not co-sleep body-to-body style. I’ll discuss that remoter below.

3. Nursing Mother Day & Night

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: MISSES THE MARK

The AAP recommends breast milk as an infant’s sole source of nutrition for the first six months. This ways you will be getting up at night to nurse, obviously.

However, LLLI does not seem to differentiate whether that ways keeping the victual with you in the bed, or whether you should get up to get your baby. So I have to requite this a visualization of Mixed Message. (Read unelevated for increasingly information on my take.)

4. Healthy Victual Full-Term

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: SOLID HIT

There is simply no treatise for not doing your weightier to try to ensure your victual will be born healthy. I know this isn’t unchangingly possible. Sadly, things happen that are entirely out of your control. If your victual is born with medical issues, the least likely possibility, per statistics, is that you “did something” to “cause” the genetic issue.

However, refraining from smoking, refraining from stuff virtually those who smoke, only taking medications directly prescribed by your OB (this includes OTC medicines), getting lots of rest and eating a healthy nutrition are all ways you can work toward a healthy pregnancy and full-term baby. Again: there may be nothing you can do; things happen. But healthy habits are unchangingly your weightier bet, no matter what.

Of course, a healthily-born victual does not midpoint cosleeping in the bed is unchangingly safer than with a victual who has a medical issue. Increasingly on that below.

5. Victual on Back

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: MISSES THE MARK

The Safe to Sleep (formerly “Back to Sleep”) wayfarers recommends all infants be placed on their when to sleep, as a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is associated with a back-sleeping position.

I have three important caveats here:

• A victual with a specific health condition, a victual who needs to wear special medical equipment, or unrepealable other issues may midpoint your pediatrician has variegated recommendations for sleep position and length of time. ALWAYS ASK your pediatrician surpassing waffly your baby’s sleep position habits.
• The NIH says that a victual who can roll over hands by herself is unscratched to sleep on her tummy, thesping she is otherwise healthy and rolled there herself. Preventing her from rolling over by keeping her on her when next to you, is dangerous advice. A victual should never be forced to sleep in any position.
• This Unscratched Sleep 7 recommendation does not towards to include very much in the way of information on why Victual sleeping on her when next to you on a bed can be dangerous. (More on that below.)

She’s Just a Reach Away.

The Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper is Here

6. No Sweat/No Swaddle

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: MISSES THE MARK

The idea overdue not swaddling starts out pretty solid: a victual who is overheated at night runs some pretty big risks. So a tight swaddle with a thick receiving blanket, in an overheated room, can be bad for Baby.

However, “when washed-up correctly, swaddling can be an constructive technique to help wifely infants and promote sleep,” equal to the AAP. (More on this below.

7. Unscratched Surface/Co-Sleeping Recommendations

Solid Hit or Misses the Mark?

Our Decision: DANGER ZONE!

That may sound dramatic, but here is where LLLI really falls short of the mark. That’s considering many of the unscratched sleep recommendations are well-nigh how to position Victual next to you on the bed or other surface.

In unstipulated the recommendations closely follow the AAP and Unscratched to Sleep guidelines, such as keeping the zone well-spoken of toys, pillows and heavy blankets; things that can tangle, such as cords; laying Victual on a firm rather than sagging mattress; and not permitting gaps where Victual can get stuck.

But putting Victual next to you on the bed, plane with these precautions, could spell DANGER. Here’s why.

What the AAP Has to Say

The AAP gives these guidelines. (This list is NOT exhaustive. Go on the site AND ask your pediatrician surpassing thesping you have all safety bases covered.)

• Place infants on their backs for sleep in their own sleep space with no other people*.
• Use a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard* with a firm, unappetizing mattress and a fitted sheet. Stave sleep on a hovel or shay or in a seating device, like a swing or car safety seat (except while riding in the car).
• Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items out of the sleep space.
• Breastfeed if possible, and stave smoking.

*Bolding here and unelevated is mine.

The AAP has the pursuit to say well-nigh unscratched swaddling:

• There is no vestige to recommend swaddling as a strategy to reduce the risk of SIDS. If infants are swaddled, unchangingly place them on the back. Weighted swaddles, weighted suit or weighted objects on or near the victual are not safe and not recommended. When an infant exhibits signs of attempting to roll (which usually occurs at 3 to 4 months but may occur earlier), swaddling is no longer appropriate, as it could increase the risk of suffocation if the swaddled infant rolls to the prone position.

Please be very careful of the whilom guidelines! Particularly the bolded…but as the experts, AAP should be the go-to source for infant sleep safety, in my and other experts’ opinion. Swaddling is a cuddly and time-tested way to soothe new babies. I have increasingly information well-nigh swaddling on my blog…check it out!

The Bottom Line

There are ways to co-sleep safely. Equal to the experts, your weightier bet is to cosleep with Victual near you, but not in the bed with you. In other words, room share don’t bedshare.

Remember to unchangingly ask your child’s pediatrician to personize translating you have read or heard. (Yes, plane mine! I encourage my moms to ask, ask, ask!)

Now that you’ve heard Safe Sleep 7: the Dangers, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

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