Issues of Co-Sleeping

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Explore some of the issues that may be associated with the practise of co-sleeping. After birth newborns sleep anywhere between 11 to 21 hours a day varying form infant to infant (Michalesson, et al., as cited in Hoffnung et al., 2010). This can affect not only the new born child but also the main care giver and/or other family members who are living with the infant. This can lead to the practise of co-sleeping. Co-sleeping is where a newborn sleeps in the same bed as a family member or main caregiver. Recent studies have shown a very strong link between sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and the practice of co-sleeping (Daltveit et al., as cited in Alm, 2007). Although there are these studies parents around the world still continue to practise co-sleeping, as there are as many positive attributes as there are negative. There are many different issues, positive and negative, that can be aroused with co-sleeping. One positive issue is that co-sleeping helps to promote breast feeding. McVea mentioned that breast feeding studies had been shown to lower the risk of SIDS in infants (as cited in Mitchell, 2009), but others, such as Alm (2007), have said that breast feeding has not effect on the likely-hood of an infant suffering from SIDS or not. No matter the argument, breast feeding is still encouraged with newborns, as it does help with growth and development. “There is a very strong connection between sleep and sudden infant death syndrome”(Daltveit et al., as cited in Alm, 2007). In 1993 Scragg et al. (cited in Mitchell, 2009) discussed the association with co-sleeping and mothers who smoked. The study showed that infants who spent a long period of time in the same bed as their mother who smoked, were at a higher risk of SIDS. Although Mitchell (2009, p.1714) does go on to state “that bed sharing is the problem, and not just the characteristics of the

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