The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Abuse Neglect Section along with Sunrise Children’s Hospital discussed the dangers of co-sleeping with infants.
So far in 2018, detectives have investigated 23 sleep-related deaths, according to Las Vegas police, with five in the month of October.
Authorities said these deaths affect the families, friends and often are the cause of broken relationships
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room sharing without bed sharing. As room sharing may lower a baby’s risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of death.
SIDS is the unexplained death of a baby younger than 1-year-old and bed sharing can put a baby at risk for SIDS and other dangers, like suffocation, according to AAP.
During co-sleeping or bed sharing, a baby can be hurt by:
- Getting trapped by the bed’s frame, headboard or footboard
- Getting stuck between the bed and the wall, furniture or other objects
- Falling off the bed
- Being suffocated by pillows, blankets or quilts or from laying facedown
- Having another person roll on top of him
- SIDS
