It is not the first time we mentioned it, nor will it probably be the last, as long as the figures remain so blunt: sleeping with the baby on the couch is very dangerous, and consequently it is considered a practice that should be avoided.
Maybe you wonder why. Well, The Lullaby Trust, a non-profit association, whose mission is to inform you about how to make your dream safe, has recently reported that this practice can make you 50 times higher risk of sudden death.
One in six deaths, because of sleeping on the couch
As we read in Independent, according to reports related to the United Kingdom and Wales, one in six deaths of babies In recent years, by sudden death, it happened while the baby slept on the mother's or father's chest, sitting on the couch.
Given these data it seems logical to warn that the risk is more than evident, and that the ideal is that sofas or armchairs are not used to rest with the baby, unless the person is accompanied by another adult, just in case who cares The baby ends up falling asleep too.
Other studies have already warned about it
In September 2014, a systematic review of studies (the highest level of evidence) analyzed data on 400 babies who suffered sudden death, compared with 1,386 live children who served as a control sample. They saw that at the time of death 36% of children slept with parents, compared to 15% of children in the control group.
With these data, many might think that colecho is in itself a risk of sudden death. However, they saw that the differences were due to customs such as sleeping with the baby on a sofa or armchair, or with parents who had drunk alcohol (among other practices not recommended). In the case of sofas or armchairs, they observed that the risk of SIDS was 18 times higher than in the rest of situations.
So, the baby can't sleep on the parents chest?
Well, that is the interpretation that some media have made about the alert of Lullaby trust, even though he doesn't say that. What you can't do is have your baby on the chest on the couch or the chair (or a reclining chair) and fall asleep, because studies clearly say that this is dangerous.
That is why UNICEF said in its latest report on the safe dream that the most sensible thing is that, in reference to the school, never tell parents to avoid, because it could be even more dangerous than offering guidelines to minimize risks.
That is, you cannot say that the colecho is dangerous per se, because the evidence does not say this. What is known is that, if it is done in an unsafe wayIf warnings are not taken into account, it can be dangerous or very dangerous for a baby.
So, if some parents went to the pediatrician (or any professional) explaining that they sleep with their baby in bed, the professional should study the situation and offer the most appropriate advice in each case. In the US, for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that no parent should sleep with their baby until 12 months of age, but many parents ignore this rule, pI risk your children at risk Not knowing how to collect safely.
And if some parents say: "No. What you are doing is very dangerous. Do not sleep with your baby in bed," it is possible that end up sleeping on the couch with the baby, as a solution to this warning ("As sleeping with the baby in bed is dangerous, I will do it on the sofa"), when it turns out that the sofa is much more dangerous than the bed.
That is why UNICEF emphasizes the importance of offering parents adequate advice (and not a simple prohibition), so that they are the ones who make the decision. These tips go by clearly explaining what it is the safest way to sleep with a baby, if you share a bed:
- Keep the baby away from cushions and pillows.
- Make sure the baby cannot fall out of bed or get caught between the sofa and the wall.
- Make sure the bedding cannot cover the baby's face or head.
- Do not leave the baby alone in bed, as it may be in a position that is dangerous.
- It is not safe to share the bed the first months if your baby was born too small or is premature.
- Do not sleep with the baby if you have drunk alcohol or taken drugs that may cause drowsiness (legal or illegal).
- Do not sleep with your baby if someone in the same room is a smoker.
- Do not put yourself in a position where you can end up asleep with your baby on top if you are on a sofa or armchair.
Summarizing
Nothing happens if you put your baby on your chest while you are on the couch or armchair, and you end up sleeping. Danger comes if you also end up sleeping. In such a case, it is better that there is someone next to you who can watch you, or that both the baby and you look for another safer place to sleep.
Photos | Jessica Merz, TedsBlog on Flickr
In Babies and more | The 16 things you should do to prevent sudden baby death, Sudden baby death syndrome is more frequent in the cold months, In countries where babies have always slept with their parents they hardly know what sudden death is
