Why do Women Choose to Bed-Share With Their Infants?

Abstract

In the early 1990s, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) initiated Back to Sleep to decrease infant mortality from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). A decline in SIDS followed; however, accidental deaths from asphyxiation, overlaying, falls, and suffocation increased. Classified as Sudden Unexplained Infant Deaths (SUID), these deaths occurred more frequently in infants who bed-shared. To minimize the risk of SUID, the AAP released guidelines in 2011 advising against bed-sharing. However, despite the new guidelines, bedsharing rates remain near 50%. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to examine why women bed-share. The author found better sleep, breastfeeding, closeness, convenience, and safety as frequent reasons for bed-sharing. Less commonly found were culture and financial limitations. A greater understanding of the reasons women bed-share can help providers discuss this issue with parents, guide interventions to reduce bed-sharing, and improve compliance with AAP guidelines