Canadians warn against babies sleeping in carseats

Recent reports from a study in sudden, unexplained infant deaths reveals that babies sleeping for long periods in their carseat can be at risk for “positional asphyxia.”  Since the infant carseats are relatively upright, sleeping babies heads can be prone to falling too far forward and restricting the upper respiratory passages.  

This kind of death, while certainly rare, and definitely a tragedy does lead researchers in Quebec to conclude that the infant carseat should only be used for transportation in the car and not as a place for sleeping infants.

Personally we’ve always been fond of bassinets, whether you are using the basinet from your stroller, an adorable Moses basket, or a smaller-sized crib as a convenient place to nap newborns when you are up and around the house during the day.  I used to nap my daughter in her stroller bassinet and carry her through the house with me as I played with her brothers.

Whether you are co-sleeping, crib sleeping, or finding some other combination that works for you – please consider these recent findings and make sure the position your baby is sleeping in is a safe one and doesn’t impede any breathing pathways.