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ST. LOUIS, Oct 06, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A study by a Saint Louis University researcher says babies who sleep in an adult bed face a 40 percent greater risk of suffocation than do babies in cribs.
Writing in this month's issue of Pediatrics, Dr. James Kemp, an associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, told Science Daily magazine: "The numbers are gigantic, much higher than I had thought. It's the best data available right now."
Kemp reported as many as 14 percent of parents say they share beds with their babies.
Said Kemp: "Granted, you want to be close to your baby at night time. But we don't think babies should be in adult beds. This has to be a risk assessment and it remains a terrible idea to share an adult bed with a baby."
He told Science Daily younger infants may be at the greatest risk because they lack the motor skills to escape potential threats, such as soft bedding or being trapped between the bed and the wall.
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
