Infants and risk of suffocation in sleep: how to prevent SIDS and breastfeed safely

Never sleep in the same bed with your baby: which new mother hasn’t heard this at least once during pregnancy or immediately after giving birth, while breastfeeding? Not for nothing, it is one of the main “rules” of safety suggested by the World Health Organization to prevent the risk of suffocation or crushing of the child, and has made a comeback following a dramatic news story, in Rome, which saw the death of a newborn by suffocation, after the mother who was breastfeeding him had fallen asleep with him in the hospital bed where she was still hospitalised. A story with many points still to be ascertained, but which leads to a review of the generally shared rules for the safety of newborns, both in terms of breastfeeding and in terms of prevention of SIDS, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .

How to breastfeed safely

The guidelines indicated by the World Health Organization are also reported on the Italian website of the Ministry of Health which offers precise indications and useful advice for a safe breastfeeding. Specifically, the site points out that «to manage the newborn’s request and night feedings, it is recommended to place the baby in the room with mum and dad: it may be useful to position the cot in contact with that of the parents, removing one side and fixing it to the double bed. In this way a three-square bed known as a “sidecar” bed is obtained, which provides the necessary space for the needs of the child and the parents; after feeding absolutely avoid putting the baby to sleep directly in the parents’ bed as it increases the risk of SIDS extension (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Among other important indications, that of settle down for feeding always in sitting position and not lying down or turned on its side, as the risk of falling asleep with the little neighbor would be higher, who could be crushed by the adult body or slip under the covers, risking suffocation.

How to sleep without risk

«Bed sharing is one of the risk factors for sudden and unexpected infant death (0 to 12 months)»comments in this regard Alessandra Bellasio, midwife and health educator. “L’American Academy of Pediatrics, in this regard, recommends a safe environment for the sleep of the newborn, in order to reduce the dangers. Specifically, through the 2022 recommendations, it advises:

-the lying on the back;
– the use of a firm and non-sloping resting surface;
-there sharing the room but not the bed;
–avoid overheating;
–avoid using soft sheets which could block the airways.

«It is therefore advisable, ideally for the first six months, that newborns sleep in their parents’ room, near their bed, but on a separate area appropriate to the age and size of the child. It must be considered that the American institution has expressed itself as respectful of the parental need or choice to share the bed with the child, however, based on the available data, it does not recommend this practice under any circumstances», Bellasio specifies.

However, there may be special circumstances or unpredictable conditions. «As in the situation that occurred in Rome, bed-sharing can occur involuntarily if parents fall asleep while feeding the child, or in moments of particular tiredness», explains the expert. «Especially in children under the age of 4 months it is, therefore, essential that parents are particularly watch out to avoid falling asleep. In this regard it is essential to reiterate the importance of a support network around those caring for a newbornsince, in such a delicate phase, tiredness can take over at any moment», concludes the midwife.\

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