Q. Is there scientific proof that bed sharing between an adult and a baby reduces Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

A. No. Currently, there is no scientific proof that bed sharing between an adult and a child reduces SIDS.

In fact, in some cases, bed sharing can be unsafe for a baby.

A new study in the journal Pediatrics found that children who share a bed with other children are at a higher risk of SIDS than are other infants. For more information on this study, go to http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/sidsRisk.cfm.

If you choose to have your baby sleep in the bed with you in order to breastfeed, make sure your baby sleeps on his or her back. Avoid soft surfaces, pillows, and loose bed covers. Make sure your baby can't get trapped between the mattress and the framework of the bed (headboard or footboard), a wall, or other furniture.

In 2000, the Task Force on Infant Sleep Position and SIDS at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a position paper titled, Changing Concepts of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Implications for Infant Sleeping Environment and Sleep Position (RE9946). This statement describes the available research on bed sharing and its implications for infant safety and outlines the AAP recommendation regarding bed sharing.