Sharing a bed with newborns leads to longer breastfeeding, a latest study reveals.
Researchers studied the data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II that had registered pregnant mothers and examined them through their baby's first year of life. They were divided into three groups; bed sharing, intermediate and moderate bed sharing.
The study observations showed that mothers in bed sharing, intermediate and moderate bed sharing groups breastfed for longer time and the mothers who slept separate breastfed their babies for a shorter time.
According to the researchers, mothers who were educated and had experienced breastfeeding in the past generally avoided going to office in the first year after having a baby and rather nursed them.
"This study provides strong evidence that bed sharing promotes breastfeeding by increasing breastfeeding duration, with the greatest effect found among frequent bed sharers. However, these benefits must be tempered by the known safety risks associated with infant-parent bed sharing," researchers concluded.
However, researchers cautioned that bed sharing can also lead to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some health experts are of the opinion that sharing a bed with babies is good for breastfeeding and some maintain that mothers should avoid doing so because of SIDS.
American Academy of Pediatrics professionals advise that babies should be made to sleep in a separate but close by.
A recent study revealed that mothers who were unable to cope with the initial stress of breastfeeding discontinued nursing within three months of delivery. According to the study, mothers faced problems such as less quantity of milk and attachment problems. This results in them just giving up on breastfeeding their babies.
