City’s 5th Co-Sleeping Death In 10 Weeks Reported
Posted by Madeline Holler at 8:30 AM on May 19, 2009
Milwaukee authorities are blaming the death of yet another baby on co-sleeping. In 10 weeks, five babies have died during the night while sleeping out of a crib.
Meekel McCleave was just two months old when her mother, who had also co-slept with her other children, woke up and found the small newborn face down. Public health officials are once again decrying the practice of co-sleeping, precisely because of outcomes like this.
The death of these five babies is a complete tragedy — sad, heartbreaking and avoidable. But what gets me, an experienced co-sleeper, is that co-sleeping is taking the blame and getting the headlines in these deaths. But a closer look sheds a little more light.
In Meekel’s case, a medical examiner’s report indicates the baby was found face-down on an adult-size pillow. That’s hardly safe co-sleeping. And face down? The baby was two months old. What two month old can roll over? Just based on the information in the article, there was a lot going wrong in that family bed, though Meekel’s mom disputes the pillow situation.
What about the other four cases? Here, read for yourself:
On March 8, 6-day old Ceianna Buchanan died while sleeping on a couch with her mother. The mother admitted to police she got drunk the night before.
On April 5, 3-month old Kymarius Hunt died sleeping on a couch with his grandmother. She later admitted to drinking 8 beers.
On April 19, 2-month old Tyler Winston died sharing a bed with his mother.
On April 25, 6-week old Demetrius Kimble died sleeping in bed with both parents. His mother admitted to drinking prior to falling asleep.
So, drunk, drunk, unknown and drunk.
Was co-sleeping the problem in any or all of these cases? Or was it booze and/or unsafe situations.
For many families, co-sleeping is the one way everybody gets sleep. And done safely, it’s safe. But what is safe co-sleeping? For one, no drugs or drinking. For another, no babies on or near pillows. And also, don’t sleep with babies on a couch or in chairs. How about an information about that, instead of just saying no, don’t do it?
I mean, my motive isn’t just to defend the practice of co-sleeping. I don’t want to learn of any more kids dying as a result of some stupid form of it.
Photo: Todaystmj4.com
well illustrated. the drinking comprimised the co-sleeping arrangement.
hear, hear! Messages about safe co-sleeping would be far better.
I couldn’t agree more! There are as many accidents co-sleeping (pillows, parental irresponsibility, etc.) as there are in cribs. In either sleeping arrangement, understanding the necessary safety procedures — which are quite simple and comfortable for all involved — will go a long way and the infant will not be at risk. And yet, the original stories which you noticed, all pointed fingers at co-sleeping, instead of realizing that the main, or only, caretaker of the child was intoxicated. Thank you for noticing the REAL trend in these stories and writing this piece!