About one in four new mothers have fallen asleep while feeding their babies. While the habit is expected in the first months, falling asleep while feeding can risk the baby's life.
That is according to findings from a recent study published in Pediatrics. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia, which collected data from over 1,250 moms at more than a dozen hospitals nationwide from 2015 to 2016.
The study collected data from mothers who had babies between two to three months old at the time.
What Were the Study's Findings?
Researchers found that 28% of new mothers said they "sometimes" or "usually" fell asleep while feeding their babies. Of those, 34% said they fell asleep in bed, while 17% said they nodded off while sitting on a sofa or a chair.
Among mothers who fell asleep while feeding, 83% said they were not planning to do so.
Read Also: Breastfeeding Babies Until 8 Months of Age Leads To Higher IQs, Better Cognitive Abilities: Study
Why Is Falling Asleep During Feeding Dangerous?
When a mom falls asleep during a feeding session, they can increase the risk of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID). This term encompasses all sudden and unexpected deaths in infants under one year of age and includes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation in bed, and deaths from unknown causes.
In 2022 alone, there were 3,700 cases of SUID reported in the United States. Specifically, there were 1,529 deaths from SIDS, 1,040 deaths from accidental suffocation and strangulation, and 1,131 deaths from unknown causes, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To prevent SUID, health experts advise against feeding a baby in a chair or on the sofa as there are more places a baby could fall into and not be able to get free. Falling off the sofa or the chair and onto the floor can also result in injuries.
Instead, the mother should feed on a firm bed away from a wall. The baby should also not be near any pillows, blankets, or cords. Additionally, a side-lying feeding position can prevent the mother from accidentally rolling on the baby if they fall asleep while nursing.
