Have you seen the recent controversial ads issued by the Milwaukee Health Department? In the ads, seemingly peaceful babies are asleep with sharp butcher’s knifes cuddled up next to them. The ad warns “Your baby sleeping with you could be just as dangerous.”

Recommendations or opinions?

The Canadian Paediatrics Committee recommends that the safest place for babies is to sleep in their own crib, preferably in the parents’ room. These recommendations exist because of the increased risk of SIDS associated with co-sleeping infants. There are many other factors that play a part in infant deaths associated with co-sleeping such as heavy blankets, pillows, parental smoking, and drug (including sleep aid medication) and alcohol use.

Some parenting experts argue that infants need physical contact for sensory stimulation, maturing of the brain, and it helps to regulate breathing and body temperature, and when proper precautions are taken the risks do not outweigh the benefits. Some families engage in co-sleeping with their child without sharing their sleeping space, but instead keep the child within arm’s reach. Bassinets and cribs can be purchased that attach to the side of the parents’ bed.

Toddler co-sleeping

Many children spend the night in their parents’ bed after infancy too. Are there risks or developmental challenges associated with co-sleeping with your toddler?  The recent Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study showed that there is no proven negative impact on the child, although many people still believe it has an effect on a child’s development.

The study followed 944 parent-toddler pairs and monitored their sleeping arrangements each year. The decreased social and cognitive skills found in some participants were accounted for by maternal parenting style & education, as well as socio-economic status, not bed-sharing.

Beyond the headline

Although the ads in Milwaukee were considered offensive by many parents, they are serving a purpose. Milwaukee has a higher infant death rate than 30 countries worldwide – including 9 deaths in 2011 alone. The ads were made to grab parents’ attention and be provocative – which they did successfully.

The intended message behind the ads have been lost because of the provocative images. Along with the knife in bed with the child, they are positioned incorrectly on their stomach and side, and are surrounded by choking hazards like puffy blankets. These factors contribute to the danger too, not just parents sleeping beside their kids. The ad encourages those who “can’t afford a crib” to call for a free one. This shows that the danger is associated not with co-sleeping with your infant by choice but by necessity, and without taking the proper precautions.

Do you find the Milwaukee Health Department ads offensive? Do your kids spend the night in your bed? What positive or negative experiences have you had with co-sleeping?