Maternal bedsharing practices, experiences, and awareness of risks

Objectives : The objectives of this study were to determine mothers' practices and experiences of bedsharing with their infants and also to determine their knowledge of the risks. Design : A self-report questionnaire was mailed to 1,122 mothers of infants. Setting : Manitoba, Canada. Participants : The participants in this study were the mothers of infants aged 3 months whose contact information was obtained through the Manitoba Health Information Privacy Committee. Main Outcome Measure : Maternal-infant bedsharing practices and maternal knowledge of risks. Results : There were 293 completed questionnaires received (26% return rate). Key findings suggest that although 89% of participants agreed that sleeping with one's baby has some risks associated with it, 72% reported that they bedshared with their baby on either a regular or an occasional basis. Mothers who breastfed were twice as likely to have bedshared. Approximately 13% of respondents who had bedshared reported an experience(s) with bedsharing in which they had rolled onto or partway onto their infant. Conclusions : Although the majority of participants agreed that bedsharing had risks for infants, almost three quarters of respondents reported bedsharing on a regular or an occasional basis. Reports by respondents of rolling onto or partway onto their infants support the conclusion that health care professionals should promote safe sleeping environments that include a separate sleep surface for infants.