AAP report: Parents should share room, not bed with infants

For at least the first six months of their lives infants should be sleeping in the same room as their parents but not the same bed, according to a new report.

New recommendations released Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics say children should sleep on separate, firm surfaces like a crib.

The aim is to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS.

Dr. Lauren McGovern, a pediatric hospitalist at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, says says soft surfaces like an armchair or couch can be dangerous, with a risk of suffocation.

“People are exhausted, we understand that and we’re not trying to make anybody feel guilty,” says Dr. McGovern. “This is something that all humans, that happens to everybody but when you do realize you’ve possibly fallen asleep feeding your child in bed…we want you to immediately transfer them to a firm surface.”

According to the report, evidence shows parents sharing a room with their infant can reduce the risk of SIDS by as much as 50 percent.