The City of Milwaukee has unveiled a new and controversial ad campaign aimed to warn parents about the “dangers” of co-sleeping. As you can see, the ad is quite shocking and morbid. And, clearly, they know that.
Apparently, Milwaukee has recently seen at least 10 infant deaths per year as a direct result of unsafe sleep environments. Their aim is to decrease these numbers and save lives.
However, does the ad go too far? Is co-sleeping with your baby equivalent to tucking him in next to a butcher knife?
Yikes.
The ad is certainly over the top and morbid in my opinion. I don’t like it. However, the message about safe sleep practices for our infants is an important one and certainly has us all talking about it.
Since 1992 when the AAP started the back to sleep campaign, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has decreased dramatically. So, we know that infants are safest when they are put to sleep on their backs. The troubling news is that SIDS is still the leading cause of death among infants less than a year old.
Recent studies have shown that the majority of these SIDS cases can be attributed to persistent stomach sleeping and babies placed in an unsafe sleep environment and dying from suffocation or entrapment. We also know that SIDS is a result of a combination of factors, none of which occur in isolation. This post from Dr. Christopher Johnson, a pediatric intensive care physician, explains this “triple risk factor” phenomena quite well.
As opposed to the recent Milwaukee ad campaign, I think we should focus our efforts on the big picture and spreading the word about safe sleep practices, instead of demonizing parents who actively choose to co-sleep. Clearly, not all co-sleeping is created equal.
The babies I worry about the most are the ones who are brought into an adult bed without any forethought or safety provisions. The ones who fall asleep on unsafe surfaces such as couches, chairs, or soft bedding. And, the ones who are exposed to second hand smoke or sleep with parents under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or sedating medications.
Here is what I want parents to know about preparing a safe sleep environment for their babies and reducing the risk of SIDS, suffocation, and/or entrapment:
- Always place your infant on his back to sleep.
- Always place your infant on a firm and bare sleeping surface. Cribs, bassinets, and portable cribs should all meet current safety standards.
- No soft bedding, pillows, loose blankets, or stuffed animals in your baby’s sleeping area.
- No bumper pads in cribs. Risk of suffocation or entrapment with these.
- Never put your baby to sleep on a couch, waterbed, too soft mattress, or other cushioned surface
- Place baby to sleep in same room as you but on a separate sleep surface such as a bedside co-sleeper, portable crib or bassinet.
Decrease you infant’s risk for SIDS by:
- Breastfeeding, which has been found to be protective against SIDS
- Making sure your baby receives all the recommended vaccines.
- Not smoking. Exposure to second hand smoke increases the risk of SIDS
- Using a pacifier. Use of a pacifier during nap and bedtime has been shown to decrease the risk of SIDS
- Not overheating your baby. Circulating air and not over bundling are protective against SIDS
Read the full AAP recommendations on SIDS and safe sleep here.
As for co-sleeping? If you do choose to co-sleep, know the risks involved and always make sure you have taken time to prepare the safest possible environment for your baby by:
- Placing a queen sized mattress or bigger on the floor pushed up against the wall.
- Having baby sleep between mother and the wall. Not between mom and dad.
- Never allowing anyone else to sleep with your baby.
- Making sure the mattress is not too soft and has a tight fitting sheet.
- Not having loose blankets, pillows, or fluffy bedding on the bed.
- Not smoking, drinking, or using sedating medications.
- Breastfeeding.
Also, remember that 90% of SIDS cases are in babies less than 6 months old. If you choose to co-sleep, waiting until your baby is beyond this most vulnerable window may be an option.
A word on swaddling: love it and so do babies. Make sure you do it right by getting a large swaddling blanket and allowing baby to remain in a natural position with elbows, knees, and hips flexed. Wrap snugly so baby is secure but not too tight. Read this for more tips and to see which swaddling blanket I love!
There you have it, my big picture approach to keeping babies safe while they’re sleeping.
Now back to that ad, what do you think? Effective or offensive?
I love reading this. You gave safe options for either choice a parent makes without judging.
I partially co-slept, mostly because I nursed and it was easier to get more sleep while my daughter was nursing, but most of the time she was in her own sleeper (pack n play bassinet insert) next to the bed, but for several hours a night she’d be next to me, never between me and my husband.
Co-sleeping can be done safely, but you are right, it can’t be an afterthought.
We stopped co-sleeping once she moved to her own room at about 5-6 months. We all got more sleep in our own rooms, but for those first few months, it worked better the other way.
The ad is too far in my opinion.
Thanks Eileen for sharing your experience. I felt immense guilt when I finally coslept with my first. He was 8 months at the time but once I finally did it…wow…we all finally got some sleep.
And yes…exactly my point…it cannot be done without preparation and serious consideration of the sleep environment. Honestly, I would have preferred he slept in a crib. He just wouldn’t have it.
Hi Melissa, you bring up some excellent points. I think some ads have to be shocking/controversial to get attention, and, as you have, to get people talking about a topic. Kind of like those Occupy LA people (but that’s another story.) We have had a 2 month old baby die in our practice in the last year from either SIDS or suffocation (slept in bed with parents.) That being said, I would have to say that I did co-sleep with my kids in exactly the way they tell you not to. Not wise, I know. I guess you never really think the worst is going to happen to you. I would rethink things the next go round (if there is one.)
So sad for those parents Sandy. How awful for them and I cannot imagine wondering “if only”.
Hi Melissa:
I think the ad is a bit much. Clearly they deliberately chose to shock. But its authors’ hearts are in the right place.
I’ve been doing pediatric critical care for 30 years and have seen many, many SIDS tragedies. Although we’ll probably never eliminate SIDS, we know that sleeping position is one thing we can do to reduce the number of cases.
Although prone infant sleeping position has gone from down from the 70% or more it once was, a significant number of parents still put their child to sleep prone. I think we need to know why this is so. Is it poor parent education, something we can fix? Or is it parental choice, knowing the risk, something which is more difficult to fix.
I cared for a child who died from SIDS last year whose parents knowingly chose to put him to sleep prone because they thought he was more comfortable that way; he had colic, and they believed lying on his stomach made him feel better. That’s not worth the risk.
I agree Chris and thank you for sharing your experience and expertise. I too had a mother tell me she puts her baby to sleep on his stomach because he sleeps longer. He was only 1 month old. I did my best to impress upon her the danger of doing that and the increase risk of SIDS that she is putting him in. I was shocked to see that it didn’t seem to matter to her. She wanted more sleep. Very frustrating and scary.
Good article. You wrote “I think we should focus our efforts on the big picture and spreading the word about safe sleep practices, instead of demonizing parents who actively choose to co-sleep.”, which I agree with for the most part. But, I don’t agree that the advert’s intent is to negatively judge parents. The shocking metaphor of the knife next to the sleeping baby will accomplish the goal of educating parents by stimulating discussion, which is the big picture I presume you refer to. But it will also, hopefully, make parents think about practices that could be harmful to their child that they had previously considered benign. I think parents can be overly sensitive about perceived criticisms over their parenting ability. However, I feel strongly that there is parental obligation to swallow our pride and continuously educate ourselves in order to become better parents.
The ad is not offensive to me personally (though we never co-slept). As far as efficacy? This is the second time today I have seen mention of this ad with the first being on a major news media source. It seems to be garnering attention and opening oppurtunities for discussion and education.
True that the shock value of the ad is generating much needed discussion on the topic of safe sleep. It’s the only positive about the ad for sure.
Great article. I love your safe sleeping advice. If co-sleeping is only condemned, you risk not having a chance at a conversation about safe co-sleeping when parents fear judgement and lie to their pediatrician about where their baby actually sleeps. I didn’t co-sleep but I know many who do, and the risk of these ads is that they might create more closet co-sleepers, which doesn’t help the problem.
I could not have said it better myself Alice. Thank you.
I did not co-sleep because I thought it was an unnecessary risk, but I would never condemn parents who choose this route. I did co-nap on occassion, on mornings after sleepless nights. My daughter could sense my presence and she would sleep longer, allowing me to get some rest. I know most people feel very strongly about this issue, fervently supporting their view, but I can understand both sides because while I was against co -sleeping through the night, my husband was all for it. He thought I was being “overprotective” but he respected my wishes and let it go.
I think the ad is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: generate a lot of attention and a little controversy so that people will examine the dangers of co-sleeping. I’ll be honest, if I had read this article before, I probably would not have co-napped either.
I used the infant co-sleeper with Liam. It attaches to the bed is like a little bassinet so that have their own space. I was right next to him and could easily reach over and soothe him or change him before nursing, but he wasn’t in my bed. I loved it. I felt like it was a great middle ground. I wish I had had it for Riley.
I really wish I had tried that with my first baby. I had invested in so many other options…that co-sleeper would have probably changed my life for the better as far as sleep is concerned
I think your post was wonderful, and you gave great tips to parents who do choose to co-sleep.
I think the ad was a bit much. Instead of scare tactics, they should focus on informing parents of safe sleeping tips for babies.
Yes, thank you. I agree.
I enjoy your blog and generally find myself nodding my head, as I did today with what you had to say. Mostly. I DON’T find this add offensive. Yes, parents have a choice and I don’t condemn them one way or another. While it may hover in the “scare-tactic” category, it makes parents stop and think about that safety of their baby and if it saves a life, it’s worth it. It’s not grotesque, it’s just thought-provoking. I am not offeded in the least. Not over the top at all in my opinion.
I do believe this is the intent of this PSA ad campaign. Their hearts are certainly in the right place…
The thing about SIDS (or any tragedy for that matter) is that people do not think it can happen to them. I am not sure how to address that way of thinking but that add is not it.