Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Essay

Every parent only wants what’s best for their child, but some matters have strong arguments supporting both opposing sides of the spectrum. How does one determine which is the overall better option? For example, an ongoing disputed issue includes whether or not it is beneficial for one to share a bed with their infant or place them in a crib to sleep alone. One side argues that co-sleeping with an infant puts them at a higher risk for death, while another viewpoint argues that it creates a better bonding opportunity between a child and the parents. The opposing argument states that sleeping in a crib allows for an infant to learn to sleep alone and gain independence, but the child could easily be neglected as well. Every parent’s biggest nightmare would be to experience Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which could possibly occur any …show more content…
They collected their data by looking at all of the infant death records during this time, such as birth and death certificates, autopsy reports, police death scene investigations and if willing, an at-home interview with the parents/guardians (Gessner, Ives & Perham-Hester, 2001). They found that out of 115 cases for which the records supplied all of this information, 113 (98%) of the deaths were caused by an infants sleeping position when sharing a bed or sleeping outside of the crib; compared to the 2 (1.7%) that were found alone in their crib (Gessner et al., 2001). The risks involved with co-sleeping includes having the child end up being rolled onto, forcing the child into prone position, getting tangled in loose bedding and becoming overheated (Sobralske & Gruber, 2009). The benefits to co-sleeping that are seen in a widespread of cultures includes