Babies in danger in parents' beds
Infants are seven times more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) if they sleep with their parents compared to those who sleep in their own cots, according to the National Sudden Infant Death Register.
The five-year study of more than 800 Irish babies found that particular dangers also include maternal smoking and infants who sleep face-down.
The study highlights many factors that together increase the risk of death 16 fold.
Infants were found to be 6 times more at risk where a soother was absent while 47% of babies who died did not have their soothers on the night in question.
Four out of every ten infant deaths in Ireland are as a direct result of SIDS.
However, the authors of the report concludes that bed-sharing does not pose a risk as long as infants are returned to their own beds for the remainder of their sleep period.
