Some experts believe there are compelling reasons not to let your baby sleep in your bed during your baby's first months. For one thing, your bed surely has pillows and blankets and other soft bedding, all of which are risk factors for SIDS. It's also easier for your baby to become overheated while sharing your bed.
"The vast majority of studies conducted on this subject have shown that bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS," says John Kattwinkel, past chairman of the AAP Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Studies have shown that bed-sharing can substantially increase the risk of SIDS or suffocation in certain situations. These include:
On the other hand, some experts believe that bed-sharing might allow a mother to respond more quickly to changes in her baby's breathing and movements, and that when risk factors like maternal smoking and tummy sleeping are removed, sharing a bed could lower the risk of SIDS. And many parents are comfortable with and committed to the practice. However, no study has ever shown a reduced risk of SIDS from bed-sharing.
If you do decide to share your bed with your baby, make sure that your mattress is firm and flat and that it fits tightly against the headboard with no space around it where your baby's head could get stuck. Never co-sleep on a softer surface, such as a waterbed, couch, or armchair. Keep heavy, fluffy bedding away from your child, and even in your bed, put her to sleep on her back.
Some researchers suggest that swaddling – the practice of wrapping a baby securely in a blanket or cloth – may help prevent SIDS because it can help a baby sleep more soundly on his back. If your baby startles while he's sleeping, his own body movements can wake him up. Swaddling can limit those movements and help a young baby feel more secure.
Other SIDS experts caution that swaddling could contribute to overheating. So if you do swaddle your baby, use a thin blanket and make sure the room isn't too warm. And, of course, never put your baby on his tummy when he's swaddled.
Your baby's doctor may have prescribed a cardio-respiratory monitor if your baby has had a life-threatening breathing incident or severe respiratory problems. If such a monitor was prescribed for your baby, of course you should use it diligently.
You may also see home sleep-monitoring systems sold by baby product retailers. These systems detect a baby's movements and alert you if movement (and presumably breathing) stops for a certain amount of time.
According to the AAP, there's no evidence these products will reduce a baby's risk of SIDS. If you use one, you'll still need to take every precaution you can to protect your baby.
Editor's note: This piece was reviewed in November 2011 by Fern R. Hauck, MD, MS, professor of family medicine and public health sciences at the University of Virginia. She is the co-author of 14 Ways to Protect Your Baby From SIDS: Safe Sleep Advice From the Experts.