Parents warned over unsafe co-sleeping as devastating baby deaths figures released
Amber Middleton
Content writerThe latest figures found there were 74 deaths of babies under 18 months in Scotland in 2023, a quarter of which involved co-sleeping
Parents are being warned to listen to guidance on co-sleeping, after shocking new infant death figures were released.
Devastating figures have revealed that more than 25 per cent of infant deaths involved babies co-sleeping with their parents.
A report published by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) found that during 2023 there were 74 unexpected baby deaths and a quarter of these involved co-sleeping.
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Solicitor General Ruth Charteris from the COPFS said: 'I am saddened and greatly concerned by our findings which show unsafe co-sleeping is still happening.'
The NHS provides guidance on how to co-sleep with your baby, and when to avoid it.
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A quarter of cot deaths are caused by co-sleeping
The COPFS investigates all 'sudden, suspicious, accidental or unexplained deaths' in Scotland in order to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Its analysis of cot deaths in 2023 found there were 74 reports of baby deaths under the age of 18 months that came into this category. Of those, 19 babies died while co-sleeping.
Ruth Charteris explained: 'We can see that overall, safer sleep advice has worked to save the lives of thousands of babies. However, I am saddened and greatly concerned by our findings which show unsafe co-sleeping is still happening.
She added that 'expert advice should be followed' and that 'tragically, babies can and do die in high-risk co-sleeping situations'.
Of the 19 babies that died while co-sleeping, 12 involved alcohol or drugs consumed by parents and carers before co-sleeping.
'I will grieve forever'
The BBC reported on Dawn Fernand, 33, from Forfar Scotland who lost her daughter, Fern in November 2014 who was seven weeks old while co-sleeping.
Dawn and Fern had fallen asleep together following an early morning feed.
'When I woke up, I realised that she wasn't breathing,' Dawn explained. 'Absolute panic set in, an ambulance was called and her dad started CPR straight away but of course it was too late.'
While drugs and alcohol play a part in many cot deaths, this wasn't the case for Dawn and Fern.
Dawn said: 'With the guidelines recently changing, I don't think it is clear enough anymore that bed-sharing is a risk. Whether you don't take alcohol or don't take drugs, it is still a risk to bed-share.
'Please be aware that there is a risk while doing it. There are ways to make it as safe as possible, but there is still a risk.'
What is co-sleeping?
Co-sleeping refers to sharing a bed with your baby.
While the NHS said there are ways to co-sleep safely, there are risks that come with it including:
- rolling over in your sleep and suffocating your baby
- your baby being smothered by loose bedding
- your baby getting caught between the wall and the bed
- your baby rolling out of bed and getting injured
Links to SIDS
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or cot death) refers to when a baby suddenly dies with no obvious cause.
Professor Mark Baker, Director of the NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Centre for Clinical Practice said: 'We don’t know what causes these babies to die suddenly, but we do know that if a parent smokes, drinks alcohol or takes drugs then SIDS is potentially more likely to occur if they then co-sleep with their infant,' he says.
What is the NHS advice on co-sleeping?
The NHS changed its advice last year on co-sleeping, after previously telling parents to never co-sleep with their little ones.
Now the NHS advises to 'Be safe if you share a bed with your baby'.
Its advice says that if you share a bed with your baby you should:
- make sure they sleep on a firm, flat mattress lying on their back
- not have any pillows or duvets near them
- not have other children or pets in the bed at the same time
It adds that it's important not to share a bed with your baby if they had a low birth weight (less than 2.5kg or 5.5lb) or if you or your partner:
- smoke (no matter where or when you smoke and even if you never smoke in bed)
- have had 2 or more units of alcohol
- have taken recreational drugs
- have taken medicine that causes drowsiness
Need advice?
Our health visitors and nursery nurses are online Monday to Friday evenings to answer your queries on feeding, sleep and child health.
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