Another Milwaukee resident writes:
Personally, I think the ad campaign is doomed to fail because it doesn't address the real problem, which in my opinion is not that adults were sleeping with their babies in their beds but rather that drugged or drunk adults were sleeping (it off) with the baby in close proximity. They rolled over on to the baby, depriving the child of air. Apparently, a "don't sleep with your baby if you are drunk out of your mind" campaign wouldn't have done the trick, so the anti co-sleeping campaign was born. As a parent who nursed three children, often sleeping with them, but one who didn't do substance abuse while pregnant or nursing, I think the campaign advocates are painting with much too broad a brush – and lots of parents know this, so the campaign against co-sleeping is not getting any traction.
Another reader:
The studies that have predominantly linked co-sleeping to SIDS neglect to mention they included alcoholics and drug users in their samples, who were much, much more likely to roll over and suffocate their babies. This Guardian article does a lot to dispel some of the myths that have arisen on the so-called "dangers" of co-sleeping. Renowned child development specialist Dr. William Sears also provides some important information on the matter. I don't want new or soon-to-be parents to read your blog and think co-sleeping will kill their infant children.
The Dish 