A new study suggest that around 74 percent of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is caused by sharing the bed with adults. The study defines "bed-sharing" as "the infant sleeping on the same surface with a person or animal."
The study found that younger babies are more likely to die when they're sharing beds, while older babies face a higher risk of sudden death when there are objects in the crib with them, such as pillows and toys.
"This study is the first to show that the risks during sleep may be different for infants of different ages," said lead author Dr. Rachel Moon, associate chief of Children's National Medical Center's division of general pediatrics and community health, in Washington, D.C. "Parents of infants under 4 months of age should be aware that bed-sharing is a huge risk factor."
Parents should also be careful to make sure their infants sleep without objects around them, she said.
"Parents often forget that as the infant gets older and nothing bad has happened," Moon said. "We need to re-emphasize that the sleep environment needs to be clear even as the infant gets older, particularly as the infant becomes more mobile."
Among babies between the ages of 4 months and 1 year, however, the predominant risk factor was rolling into objects in their sleep space.
"Although we always recommend that the infant's sleep area be clear of pillows, blankets, bumper pads, etc., many parents forget the importance of this message as the baby gets older," Moon said. "However, these items are equally dangerous as the baby becomes more mobile."
The infants should sleep within the parents' room but not on the same bed, suggested this study.
