A leading expert has claimed that sleeping in the same bed as their parents is not a reason why babies are smothered or suffer cot death. The University of Cape Town's Dr Nils Bergman, speaking to the Daily Mail suggested that the mother being present is not a cause of babies dying in their sleep. He added there are other things that can be attributed to the deaths such as cigarettes, alcohol, toxic fumes, dangerous toys and big pillows. Dr Bergman believes that there could be behavioural problems later in childhood and adolescence if a mother and child do not share a bed, as there will not be such a deep bond. The American Association of Paediatrics (AAP) earlier suggested that doctors should be more positive regarding infant sleep safety guidelines, and should try to better understand the behaviour of parents. The AAP’s Dr Rachel Moon said that they will be better equipped to overcome the barriers that parents adopt to best practice guidelines.
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