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COPYRIGHT 2002 Mothering Magazine
No one would suggest that because sleeping in a crib can be hazardous under certain conditions, no baby should sleep be in a crib. By analogy, therefore, it is equally illogical to suggest that because under certain circumstances bedsharing can be hazardous, parents should not bedshare with their babies. Given the near universality of the practice of bedsharing at some stage, it is far more logical to identify the conditions under which bedsharing is hazardous and to give parents information on how to avoid them.
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IN SEPTEMBER 1999 AND MAY 2002, THE US CONSUMER Product Safety Commission (CPSC) made pronouncements that seriously put into question the safety of sleeping with a baby in an adult bed. The first pronouncement specifically cautioned against cosleeping, while the second described the hidden hazards in adult beds. Both statements were based on retrospective, subjective analyses of death certificates and did not refer to any other scientific evidence. Almost at once, parents spoke more fearfully about the family bed, and the assumption that it was unsafe began to seep into our culture.
The family bed has often been questioned in recent times, but its use is quite common, especially among breastfeeding mothers. Prior to 1999, the family bed was about choice. Some families chose it; others did not....
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