Dangers of the 'family bed'
By Cheryl Ransom-Garner and John Domzalski

 Bringing a newborn into an adult bed to sleep with mom and dad - the so-called family bed - may seem like a natural, nurturing practice.
 But for far too many Philadelphia families, the family bed has become a bed of sorrows.
 During a recent 18-month period (April 1, 2003, to Oct. 11, 2004), 48 children died in a family-bed situation, more than double the number of children who died from abuse.
 These tragedies can be prevented through education and common sense. Communicating this important message is a challenge, however, because parents bring their infants into their beds with only good intentions: to breast-feed, comfort the baby, provide warmth and human contact, or help the baby to sleep. Many parents can't fathom that they could be putting their babies in harm's way. But that's exactly what they're doing when they sleep with their infant.
 With all due respect to well-intentioned supporters of the family-bed practice, including breast-feeding advocates such as the La Leche League, whatever perceived benefits may accompany it pale in comparison with the very real and significant risks.
 Sleeping adults or older siblings can inadvertently roll over onto the infant, causing death by suffocation. An infant can get trapped in the bedding, wedged between the bed and wall, or knocked off the bed altogether.
 In keeping with Mayor Street's mandate that the health and safety of the city's children be given priority, the Philadelphia Division of Social Services launched a major public-awareness media campaign this past fall to educate parents and caregivers on the dangers of sharing a bed with an infant.
 Led by the Department of Public Health and the Department of Human Services, the television, radio and print advertising campaign is running citywide in numerous media outlets.
 The message to parents is simple and direct: For you to rest easy, your baby must rest alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics firmly states that the safest way to put babies to sleep is to place them on their backs - never on their front or side - in their own uncluttered cribs.
 The recommendation resulted from the discovery that babies who slept on their stomachs were more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome. Since 1992, when the pediatricians' group first recommended that babies sleep on their backs, the rate of SIDS in the United States has declined.
 The respected journal Pediatrics also reported that babies who shared a bed with parents or siblings were at a higher risk of SIDS than were other infants. The message is clear: Babies belong in their own cribs, never with others in an adult bed.

Other safety tips:

• A crib mattress should be firm, flat and clean.
• Infants should not get too warm during sleep.
• Use a lightweight blanket in the crib, tucked over the baby's lower body, as opposed to loose quilts or sheets in which the baby could get tangled or be accidentally suffocated.
• Do not place pillows, loose bumpers or stuffed animals in the crib during sleep time.

 The Department of Human Services and the Health Department acknowledge that, for many families, the family bed is a necessity. They simply can't afford a crib.
 The nonprofit Maternity Care Coalition is furnishing free cribs to families in need through its Cribs for Kids program. The demand far exceeds the supply. The coalition and the Department of Human Services ask corporations, foundations and individuals to provide critical funding to meet the growing demand for cribs.
 To request a crib - or to donate money or a good-quality used crib - please contact the Maternity Care Coalition at 215-972-0700 or visit its Web site at www.momobile.org.