Falling asleep with a baby in a bed, on a sofa or in an armchair is ‘risky’, UK government health advisors have said, in new guidance aimed at reducing the number of infants dying from ‘cot death’ each year. Cot death, or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), is the unexplained death of an otherwise healthy baby. [s]The Independent[/s] reports that exact causes are unknown, but new draft guidelines from the [b]National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)[/b] has taken into account recent studies that suggest sharing a bed with a baby might be linked to a higher chance of SIDS. The dangers are likely to be higher if parents smoke or have recently drunk alcohol.
[link url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cosleeping-with-your-baby-can-increase-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-9580122.html]Full report in The Independent[/link]
[link url=http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/InConsultation/GID-INCONSULTATION/html/p/postnatal-care-update-addendum-consultation?id=p7egjzj332for5etflr2w7ehtq]NICE guidelines consultation[/link]