Not long ago we saw the positions of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Spanish Association of Pediatrics on the controversial issue of sleeping with the baby in the same bed (colecho) and sudden infant death syndrome. In summary, it can be said that both associations they agreed to advise against colecho as an "official position".
The same can be said of the Latin American Association of Pediatrics (ALAPE), formed by all pediatric societies in Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Its website includes several documents that refer to the relationship between colecho and sudden death.
In the White Paper on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome found in the pages of the AEPED, in Annex 1.7, entitled "Consensus for risk reduction in sudden infant death syndrome", prepared by the Committee on Syndrome sudden infant death of the Latin American Pediatric Association (ALAPE) in 2002, reference to colecho is not referred to as a risk factor.
Although in this document it does advise that babies sleep in the same room as parents until 4-6 months, since breastfeeding and care during sleep is favored.
However, more recently, within the framework of the V Latin American Symposium on Sudden Infant Death (Brazil, 2005), there is a new consensus that we see reflected in the 2005 Clinical Practice Guide, of the same ALAPE. Here it is noted, among the guidelines of safe sleep, cohabitation, and they advise against colecho, as well as excess heat or smoking.
In documents studying the ALTE the colecho is not advised. ALTE is sometimes related to sudden death, because it is an unexpected and abrupt episode that would correspond to a risk of death situation, characterized by compromise of respiratory activity, change in color and / or changes in muscle tone.
Specifically, these are the "Safe Sleep Guidelines"which also recommends the Committee of sudden infant death-ALAPE in Clinical Practice Guide:
• Supine position during sleep. • Cohabitation / non-colecho • Avoid overheating during sleep, Avoid excessive heat in the room where the child sleeps- Avoid overcoating • Prohibition of tobacco in the baby's environment • Avoid positions in which the baby's head is flexed against the thorax to avoid narrowing of the airway. Example baby seat, car seat, etc. • Hard mattress that does not allow entrapment of the baby's head between the mattress and the crib. The baby's arms should be outside the clothes (the possibility of a covered head is avoided) • Respect the natural cycle of sleeping and awakening of the infant: do not wake him or prevent him from sleeping
Recall, however, that within the same associations there are dissatisfied voices with these recommendations of not sleeping with the baby in the same bed, especially in defense of breastfeeding and the mother-filial bond. For them, the studies taken as the basis for not advising the school are inconclusive.
For our part, we will continue to give news of all the studies in this regard, in this controversial issue that still has much to say.
Official Site | ALAPE More information | Aeped, White Book of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Colecho and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Conflicting Relationship In Babies and more | Colecho, Sudden Death
