In “Sleep Environment, Positional, Lifestyle and Demographic Characteristics Associated with Bed Sharing in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Cases: A Population-based Study,” researchers found SIDS cases that involved bed sharing showed more risk factors for SIDS than non-bed sharing cases of SIDS. Risk factors include the use of a couch, the presence of another child, and a higher proportion of infants placed to sleep laterally (on their side), an unstable sleep position that can result in a shift to prone (on stomach) sleep.
Breastfeeding was not more frequent in SIDS bed sharing cases. Bed sharing cases also had higher rates of several demographic risk factors for SIDS including maternal smoking and adolescent mothers. The authors suggest that risk and situational profiles can be used by pediatricians to identify families in greater need of early guidance on safe sleep.