CHICAGO (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Sharing your bed with an infant also known as co-sleeping is a personal decision parents must make.
Proponents say it helps mom and baby bond. But some studies show it can be dangerous.
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Now, one woman is hoping to provide parents peace of mind, while keeping their babies close.
Erin Cassidente keeps watch over her five kids. Safety is her priority, especially with her newest addition James.
Cassidente told Ivanhoe, "He's just been the easiest kid. I couldn't ask for an easier, happier little guy."
Like other parents, Erin has had to decide where her baby will sleep. "Babies are kind of hard wired to be close to their mom at night" she said. She's chosen to keep James beside her.
But Jennifer Doering, PhD, RN, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee says sleeping with your children isn't without risk.
Doering told Ivanhoe, "Approximately 4,000 babies die of sleep related infant death every year."
A recent study shows nearly 74 percent of deaths in babies less than four months old occurred in a bed-sharing situation.
Now, Doering and her team are developing an infant sleep pod to keep babies safe. It's called the "sleep guardian 360."
"We have the ability to put people up into space. Keep them safe and warm in a vacuum and bring them back down to earth. Yet we can't keep babies safe next to their parents in bed" Doering explained.
Here's how it works: "You take the baby and you put it in underneath the bridge. It's one directional so that the parents can't put the baby in the wrong way.
The bridge itself will protect the baby's air space and the pod itself will contain the baby so the baby can't escape" Doering said.
If a blanket or pillow falls on the bridge or if the baby is in a dangerous position, an alarm alerts parents. The sleep pod can be used anywhere. The sofa is the most dangerous place for infants.
Doering told Ivanhoe, "When they are young, their neck muscles are not developed enough to be able to lift their head away from the crack and so they suffocate inside of the couch."
Giving Moms like Erin more peace of mind.
The owl night sleeper is designed for infants up to six months — the most critical period for infant deaths.
Jennifer says the pod also allows dads to come back into bed without fear of rolling onto their babies. She hopes to have the pod available for parents by the end of this year. For more information, log onto www.sleepei.com.
Contributors to this news report include: Jennifer Jefcoat, Field Producer; Cortni Spearman, Assistant Producer; Jamie Koczan, Videographer and Editor.