Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as cot death in the UK, is a frightening reality. Unfortunately, Medical News Today says that the risk is higher among infants who sleep in their parents’ bed as compared with those who have a separate crib.

Past studies have revealed that SIDS risk increased when parents who were smokers, drinkers, and drug users slept with their infants, but recent research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that the risk is also very real for children with healthy parents.

Researchers examined data from 1,472 SIDS deaths, and found that three-month-old infants who do not have their own cradles seemed to be more at risk. However, the good news is that the chances of SIDS decreased once the child got older.

While it is still unclear why SIDS occurs, parents might want to consider getting a crib for their newborns and placing it in the room where they sleep instead of bringing the baby to bed with them.

(Photo by porah via sxc.hu)