Home > New & Expectant Parents > Adult Beds are Not Safe for Sleeping Babies
 Adult Beds are Not Safe for Sleeping Babies
Research shows that bed sharing (falling asleep with your baby) is not safe. These are some of the reasons why:
- Soft bedding, such as pillows, blankets, quilts and padded mattress tops, greatly increase your baby’s risk for SIDS and suffocation.
- Adults or siblings in the bed can accidentally roll too close to or onto your baby while they sleep.
- Babies can get trapped between the mattress and the wall, headboard, footboard or other piece of furniture.
- Your baby could fall from the bed and get hurt or fall into a pile of clothing or other soft items on the floor and suffocate.
Bed sharing is the most unsafe if:
- You smoked during pregnancy, or if you or your partner smoke now.
- Your baby is less than 11 weeks old.
- Your baby was born too early or at a low birth weight.
- Your or your partner have taken drugs, alcohol or medications that make you sleepy.
The safest sleep area is a crib that meets current safety standards. The mattress should be firm and fit snuggly in the crib. For parents looking for safe alternatives to a crib for their sleeping baby, such as a bassinet, cradle or co-sleeper, click here. Visit www.cpsc.gov or www.jpma.org for crib safety standards.
|
