Co-Sleeping, Sids and You
What are your thoughts on co-sleeping?” asked a patient who had recently given birth to a wonderful, healthy new baby. It’s one of those loaded questions that you know will lead to more. Sure enough, she fired off in rapid succession: “Is there really a higher chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)? “How could I possibly roll over on my own child?” And then the final clincher: “What did you do with your kids?” The last one made me smile because it’s probably the most important question you could ever ask any doctor. My cautious answer was: “Yes, we chose to co-sleep with our children, but that may not be right for everyone.” The fact is, my wife and I deliberated on this topic for a long time and finally came to the decision based on what we felt best for our family. Thankfully we are not alone and most often the answers are out there. With decisions of this magnitude, it’s a good idea to take a world-view of the problem. Currently, Japan leads the way with the lowest overal