MIAMI (WSVN) - For the first six months of an infant’s life, a new report suggests both the infant and parents need to sleep in the same room.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should sleep on separate surfaces in the same room, but never on an armchair, couch or another soft surface. A crib was used as an example by the academy as a suitable surface to sleep on for the infant.
According to CNN, this new report aims to eliminate the risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) and other fatal situations that can occur when babies sleep.
Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, member of the Task Force on SIDS and co-author of the academy’s report, said SIDS is unpredictable. “The whole phenomenon of SIDS implies that we don’t know 100% what is responsible for the death, but we have theories,” said Feldman-Winter to CNN. “A baby that is within reach of their mother may have more comfort, or physical stimulation form being in an environment with another person.”
The academy’s report stated that parents sharing a room with their infant can reduce SIDS by 50 percent in some cases.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.