Do not sleep with babies.

A new study finds that the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is five times higher when parents co-sleep with their babies.

British researchers note that parents sharing a bed with their babies increases the risk of SIDS, even if the parents do not drink alcohol, use drugs or smoke. They say the rate of SIDS would be significantly reduced if parents did not share a bed with their babies.

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In the US, all parents are encouraged not to sleep with their babies under three months old. While in the UK, only parents who smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs are advised to avoid sleeping with their babies.

The study, led by Robert Carpenter, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analyzed 1,472 cases of SIDS in infants. The results showed that 88% of deaths during sleep in infants would probably have been prevented if the infants had been placed in a separate crib next to their parents' bed.

The researchers said the risk of SIDS decreased as the baby got older. However, they noted, the risk of SIDS was still higher if the parents smoked, or if the mother had consumed alcohol or used drugs such as marijuana within 24 hours, regardless of the baby's age.

There has been a significant increase in the number of babies suffering from SIDS over the past decade, with researchers estimating that about half of these cases occur while parents are co-sleeping with their babies.

"We do not suggest that infants should not be brought into their parents' bed for cuddling, caressing, and feeding. However, after these activities have been completed, infants should be placed back in their own cots for sleep," the researchers advise.

The research results were recently published online in the British Medical Journal.

According to HCMC Women/Medicinenet-nt