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LONDON, Jan 16, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Sharing a bed with a baby less than 8-weeks-old increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, a new study indicates.
But, the finding brings doctors no closer to understanding why seven babies a week in Britain die of unexplained causes, the Times of London reported Friday.
Smoking, cannabis, old mattresses, sleeping position, genetics, dummies and being too warm have all been linked with SIDS deaths in the past. The latest study, an examination of the evidence of different risk factors across 20 European regions published in The Lancet, confirms some of these as important, and adds another: sleeping with the baby.
The new research says bed sharing can double the risk of a SIDS deaths in babies up to 2-weeks-old and remains a significant factor up to 8 weeks. As a result, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths has changed its advice to parents.
Copyright 2004 by United Press International.
