When baby sleep safety becomes headline news, sleep misconceptions start spreading like wildfire — something that can make parents even more paranoid about the subject, if that's possible. In fact at one of my recent sleep workshops for parents, there was a mom in the group who confessed that she couldn't sleep at all during the first six months of her baby's life unless someone else was watching over him. That's how scary the issue of sleep had become for her.
It's hardly surprising that a deputy coroner who works with the heartbroken parents of babies who have died in their sleep would have such strong feelings about infant sleep environments.
"There ain't any ands, ifs or buts, Ontario's Deputy Chief Coroner Dr. Jim Cairns told the CBC. "The only safe sleeping environment for a baby is in a crib with a proper-fitting mattress."
Those can be harsh words to a sensitive new parent who has made a particular sleep choice after much painstaking deliberation. They are also words that ignore the simple fact that nearly 50 per cent of babies share their parents' beds at least part of the time.
In the wake of Cairn's comments, it might be difficult for bed-sharing parents to speak freely and honestly to their healthcare providers or other parents about their family's sleep choices. This could deprive them and their babies of potentially life-saving information about what can be done to make bed-sharing as safe as possible.
If we want to lessen the anxiety, guilt and paranoia felt by so many parents, I think we need to lose the all-or-nothing attitude about sleep and sleep choices.
We'll all be able to sleep easy about infant sleep when we have more definitive answers about what it takes to keep babies safe all night long.
Now, over to you. Give us your feedback. (And, read below for more on baby sleep myths.)
- What advice would you offer other parents on dealing with scary parenting stories in the news?
- How do you keep them in perspective (so you're not in perpetual panic mode)?
- How do you make sure you've got a handle on the facts?
Baby sleep myths
Just in case you happened to tune in to some of the baby sleep coverage and you've been losing sleep ever since, here's the lowdown on some of the myths that were making the rounds this past week:
MYTH: "Use sleep positioning devices so your baby won't roll off her back while she's sleeping."
FACT: Baby sleep positioners pose a risk to babies. They are made from pillow-like material and The Canadian Paediatric Society advises parents to "keep soft materials out of your baby's sleep environment: quilts, comforters, bumper pads, stuffed animals, pillows and other pillow-like items."
MYTH: "It's okay to wrap your baby in a blanket before you put her in bed."
FACT: If you swaddle your baby, she needs to be swaddled tightly enough that the swaddle (or wrap) will not come unwrapped or there is a risk that the wrap may cover your baby's face, increasing the risk of a SIDS-related death. Note: The swaddle shouldn't be too tight, nor should the baby be dressed too warmly while being swaddled.
MYTH: "You have to roll your baby back onto his back if he rolls over onto his stomach."
FACT: Once babies are able to roll from their backs to their fronts, you can let your baby control his own sleeping position in the night. Until then, on the back is the safest sleeping position.
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