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Deborah Howell (Host): So we love our little ones so much that we just want to be with them 24/ 7 and keep them as close as possible. But during the night, when it comes to sleeping, what's really best for our babies. I'm Deborah Howell and our guests today are Dr. Jenny Camacho, a neonatologist and Taylor. Fauerbach, a registered nurse and perinatal center program coordinator. Both are with Deaconess, the Women's Hospital. And today we'll be talking about the dangers of co-sleeping. Welcome, Dr. Camacho and Taylor.

Dr. Jenny Camacho: Hi Debra. Thank you so much for having us.

Taylor Fauerbach: Hi Deborah.

Deborah Howell (Host): What a pleasure. Taylor, can you explain to us what co-sleeping is.

Taylor Fauerbach: Yes. So co-sleeping is when there is a parent and a child who are sleeping in close contact with each other, both of these peoples can sense each other's presence. And it gives comfort knowing that there's someone close by. There's different types of co-sleeping. So it may mean you are bed sharing or your room sharing. And what I think people need to know is that there is a big difference between the two.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay. Is bed sharing dangerous?

Taylor Fauerbach: Yes. So bed sharing is when parents and babies actually sleep together in a bed. Bed sharing is considered a risky activity because when you share a bed with a baby, it increases their risk for a sleep related death. So one example is you could roll on top of the baby or a blanket could cover up the baby's mouth, and that's a safety concern. And we've talked before about the ABCs of safe sleep and putting a baby on their back, on a firm surface is really important. A larger mattress with a parent or another caregiver is not going to be the firm surface a baby needs.

Deborah Howell (Host): So Dr. Comacho, if it's dangerous, why do people bed share?

Dr. Jenny Camacho: So there are several reasons that some parents decide to bed share. First of all, it's a cultural belief. And in fact, there's several areas of the world where co-sleeping is a common practice. So in south Europe, Asia, Africa, central and south America. So it very well could just be a cultural belief. Another one is that sometimes it's easier to breastfeed your baby at night. Some people think that both the parents and the infant get more sleep when they're in the same bed. The extra snuggle time can help with bonding. And finally, parents find it easier to soothe or comfort their baby. But I think the real important thing to consider is that all of these stands can be achieved with room sharing.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay, then that brings us to room sharing. Is it also dangerous?

Dr. Jenny Camacho: No. So room sharing is a type of co-sleeping. And that is where the infant sleeps in the same room as the caregivers, but simply on a different sleep surface. So, it's not dangerous if the infant is placed on a separate, safe sleep surface, such as a flat firm mattress lined with a tightly fitted sheet, in a crib. The American Academy of P American academy of pediatrics actually recommend the room sharing for at least the first six months of life. And if possible the first year. I do think one important thing to mention here is bedside sleepers or in bed sleepers. So. , while there are some bedside sleepers that meet the consumer product safety commission standards, there's really no published studies that have examined the safety of these products. So the American Academy of Pediatrics can't give recommendations for or against them. So the safest bet for parents really is using a crib or a portable crib. Bassinets are also a great option, but due to the weight limits, they can really only be used for the first two or three months.

Deborah Howell (Host): Got it. So wait for the research and for those bedside options. Now, Taylor, what are the benefits of rooms?

Taylor Fauerbach: So at the benefit of room sharing, is that a parent and a baby are till near each other and they have that comfort in presence and it's in the safest way possible. It makes it easier to feed and comfort your baby and watch your baby. When you're sharing a room with one .Another AAP says it can also decrease the risk of SIDS by 50%. So room sharing is much safer than bedroom.

Deborah Howell (Host): Okay. It must be overwhelming to so many new parents. Dr. Camacho, are there any resources for parents who want to learn more about putting babies to bed safely?

Dr. Jenny Camacho: Yes, absolutely. There are many great websites out there that talk about safe sleep, but there's two in particular that I really highly recommend. The first one is healthychildren.org. They actually have an article written by Dr. Rachel Moon titled how to keep your sleeping baby safe. And it goes over the 2016 American Academy of Pediatrics policy about safe sleep. Furthermore, the website has a specific area that's dedicated to babies with a section just about sleep. In there, you will find the other resource I really like called the the Charlie's Kids Foundation. That link is Charlie'skids.org. Charlie spelled as N I E. The site was developed by a pediatrician who fell asleep with his infant on the couch at night.

And unfortunately the baby died in an unsafe sleep environment. So this website is great because it has really practical advice and suggestions for parents for safely. Getting yourself and your baby to sleep at night. And finally many hospitals provide safe sleep education once the baby's born. But I really do feel like that the time to start planning and thinking about how you're going to get through those long nights of no sleep and feedings, and all of that, is to come up with a safe sleep plan with your partner or other caregivers that are going to be helping you care for that baby. Because we've all been there. We've all been tired and we've all had those times with our babies. So I think planning ahead is one of the best things parents can do.

Deborah Howell (Host): A safe sleep plan, no bed sharing, room sharing, yes. And plenty of resources to help out. Have you both, maybe just address new parents before we go and just tell them what you might tell them in the office setting about how to relax and enjoy these first few months with their babies.

Taylor Fauerbach: I think parents really want what's best for their babies and they want to keep them safe. And you can do that just by trying to look at information out there while you're pregnant. And that way it gives you a chance to digest that information before your babies in the world with you. I remember going home with my baby and thinking, oh my gosh, this is it. There's no one there to tell me what to do and how to do it. But I think I just really enjoyed it more when I sat back and remembered all of the things that I looked at. And it just made me feel more competent as a parent. When I started seeing those successes to that the routine that we had set was working out and that my baby was trying to follow a sleep routine, once we started putting it into place.

Deborah Howell (Host): Got it. And Dr. Camacho.

Dr. Jenny Camacho: I think the thing that I really focus on with parents is, like I mentioned coming up with a plan, but other kinds of things like setting an alarm, you know? So, if you're 2:00 AM in the morning, you're feeding your baby and you're breastfeeding, breastfeeding is actually really protective against sudden infant death syndrome. But if you're breastfeeding, set an alarm for 15 minutes. We all have our phones right next to us. So set an alarm for 15 minutes, so that if you happen to fall asleep with your baby, while breastfeeding, you have something to wake you up And I think the other thing is really to talk to parents and have a practical conversation about where are you planning on having your baby? I think that's one of the barriers is that sometimes I think we make assumptions and we can't make assumptions.

We have to have a practical conversation about safe, and the best place for baby to sleep. And so I think those are things that when I was, when I send families home and when I was practicing general pediatrics, I would focus on with families because it is hard. Practicing safe sleep is really challenging, but there are definitely safe ways to do it. I think the other thing to really focus on is counseling about smoking cessation, if a mom smokes or if there's other substance use in the home, those are also huge risk factors for unsafe sleep. So if we can focus on helping mothers quit smoking and counseling against drugs and things like that. I think that is some also other areas that we can help families and give them the support that they need.

Deborah Howell (Host): Sounds good. Is there anything else either of, you would like to add to our conversation today and Taylor let's start with you.

Taylor Fauerbach: Yeah. So when Dr. Camacho and I really thought about co-sleeping and the information out there, we did a quick internet search just to see what we could come up about these different topics we've talked about today, unless you specifically search for risk or danger with types of co-sleeping, you can really get tricked into thinking that there aren't any problems with bed sharing and that no harm can come from it. The internet can give us a lot of information. And I just really encourage parents to talk to their baby's doctor about questions with co-sleeping. They can really give those resources that are researched with both sides of the evidence, rather than something that's really one-sided. And I hope that we've been able to do that today on this.

Deborah Howell (Host): Absolutely. And Dr. Camacho, final thoughts.

Dr. Jenny Camacho: Yeah, I think one thing that I really wanted to highlight too, was that in May of this year President Biden signed the Safe Sleep Act of 2021. So it's an act that outlaws the manufacturing and sale of crib bumpers and inclined safe sleepers. There've been many infant deaths from the use of these products. And so they will fortunately no longer be on the market. Those are some of the questions I would get from families, a lot about the incline safe sleepers, if they were safe and crib bumpers. And we now have the evidence and the data and now an Act to take those off the market. So I think that's one thing I really wanted to also share is that some items that have been associated with unsafe sleep environments, won't even be available for families anymore. And I think that's huge.

Deborah Howell (Host): Well, this is some really fabulous information. Crucial. Thanks so much for being with us today, Dr. Camacho and Taylor, to talk about co-sleeping. Such an important topic, and we really appreciate you both beinghere.

Dr. Jenny Camacho: Thank you so much for having us. We appreciate your time.

Taylor Fauerbach: Yes. Thank you.

Deborah Howell (Host): And that wraps up this episode of the podcast series from Deaconess the Women's Hospital, a place for all your life. Visit deaconess.com/twh and search safe sleep to learn more. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other Deaconess Women's Hospital podcasts. For more health tips and updates, follow us on your social channels. I'm Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.