This is a heartbreaking story and surely the parent is thinking 'would've, could've, should've.' However...each parent, regardless of religion, culture, race, sexual identity, you name it, is invested with their own dose of common sense, education, intuition, I.Q., support system, economic level....Most of us are just doing our best with what we have at that given moment. People co-sleep with their babies and entire extended families all over the world and have done so throughout history. We are the only crazies who would attempt to politicize this very personal, awesome, and medically/scientifically validated (if one needs that validation) bonding opportunity. If a parent is a very heavy sleeper, has other medical or drug issues, is obese or perhaps not fully prepared to anticipate potential threats to his/her infant's safety, the attending physician, social worker, midwife should be responsible to educate the parents and assist them in planning in order to reduce potential threats to infant safety. Family members or friends should help mention potential threats of co-sleeping. But to legislate this or make it criminal? Stay of my uterus AND my bed and my home, pleeeeease! I nursed my adopted babies. Next the right-wing, uppity, emotionally sterile you-know-whos will be legislating against that as well as every food group with potential choking hazards. Give me a break.

What a heartbreaking story. :-( We have an 18 month old that has never slept with us. For two reasons: it is not safe, and when its time to transition her to her own bed it makes it a lot harder. Our daughter was in NICU her first 2 weeks, slept in a bassinet in our room for 2 weeks, and has slept in her own crib, in her own room after that. Since about 4 months old she has slept all through the night. I think we are very blessed that she has done that, but at the same time I believe it helped that we put her in her own bed at an early age. She is comfortable, and has her music and night light to keep her cozy. Her room is closest to ours, and we always used a video monitor to watch & listen to her. I just don't see the risk in letting baby sleep with you, or how it will help make the big kid bed transition any easier.

In the UK midwives and health visitors have cautioned against sleeping with babies in the bed for at least a decade. The risks of rolling onto them when you're asleep or pushing the covers over their faces etc are just not worth it for one second. What a terrible burden of loss for this woman to bear.

My Sympathy goes out to this family it is such a traggic loss. My Prayers are with them for strength, It is so very sad.
I don't agree with co-sleeping at any age! But most of all I can't understand how anyone can sleep with a newborn it is so easy with a body,pillow or blanket for a baby to suffocated. Why would anyone take the chance knowing that you could not knowing hurt your baby.People do it all the time with kid's of all ages. Then when the child can not adjust to sleeping in thier own bed the parent gets upset & wonders what they can do. Well start off by having them sleep in thier own beds then thier is no stress or the child feeling as if you don't love them.And they don't feel scared and abandon...
.Very sad in NV.

It is so sad !!! But I really don't understand the connection of this tragedy to co-sleeping. We sleep with our children, different ages, from the start. I think it is safer to sleep with your child, feel their breathing next to you, than let them sleep far from you. And of course it's much easier to breastfeed. I and my parnter and our kids sleep much better this way. We believe this is safe. I would have checked if those babies were vaccinated close to their death. There are many babies who die from vaccins, but nor doctors or family connect their deaths to the vaccines. Co-sleeping doesn't kill. Vaccins sometimes do. I pray for those parents and hope they don't feel guilty. Very very sad...

I have slept with each of my 4 children in the crook of my arm from birth, up until they were old enough to sleep on their own. (we moved each of our first 3 children into their own beds around 2yrs old) My youngest is still sleeping with me- he's almost 5 months old. This story does not give details as to whether the co-sleeping was intentional, etc. Most animals sleep with their young and most humans around the world do as well. Look into the history, separate sleeping arrangements for infants began when DOCTORS told parents not to sleep with their babies/children b/c they could spread germs to them! Oh please! Of course if you do not feel you are able to sleep well with your children in bed with you, or you are unable to arrange a safe sleeping space for your baby in your bed then by all means, don't co-sleep. But safely co-sleeping is acceptable and normal. This is a horrible tragedy, but we don't know if this would have happened even if the babies were sleeping alone, or together in a crib. We don't know the entire story.

What heart-wrenching story. I didn't co-sleep with my daughter until she was 4 months old, when I realized I was so hyper-alert at night, I awoke from her moving in the bassinet next to me. I made sure to take all the precautions. It can be done safely, but so many people don't know what to remove from their beds. With my second child I was a sleep deprived Mom and I tried co-sleeping only to realize I was too tired and couldn't wake easily and so I had a co-sleeper attached to my bed and then a porta-crib when he outgrew that. As he got older, i was less sleep-deprived and could once again co-sleep safely. I don't know how this happened whether it was them sleeping on their tummies or too many blankets or soft pillows in the bed or a sleep-deprived mom rolling on them. Wish they would have given the details so people would be more educated on what not to do while co-sleeping rather than just saying not to do it. There is the same risk if they are put on their tummies in a crib with a pillow or comforter. Most of what makes co-sleeping dangerous(other than rolling on them) can be the same in a crib if people don't know. There are dangers both ways. Knowing how to do them safely is what should be stressed here, no matter which you choose.

This is so sad. I can only imagine the horror this woman is experiencing, losing both of her children in such a tragic way.

Whilst co-sharing is something that many people do, most successfully, the risks need to be considered. Cases like this are becoming far too common.

All the best to her and her family.

www.pawsfourthought.com/Caja-de-la-memoria

I lost my son to SIDS last January. I can only imagine in horror as to what this poor woman is going through, loosing two children at the same time. My love and prayers go out to her and her family.

I Lost my daughter to SIDS almost 11 months ago. She is a Twin also... I co sleep with all of my children. My twin girls were 4 months old when One of them passed away. I have done A LOT of research on Twins and SIDS and it is a VERY high risk especially with boys that they die and sometimes both of them die! It is SAD and Painful! God Bless this woman and give her peace because their is nothing like loosing a child!

Hmmmm.....vaccine related? Because it would be very ODD to have 2 of them suffocate!

I have 5 children-all of which slept with me. One of my children had severe reflux and to this day wouldn't have been here if she wasn't sleeping with me because I would never have known she was choking in the middle of the night if she had been in her bassinet beside my bed. The only thing she could do was kick. She couldn't make a sound. Co-sleeping is not dangerous if you are responsible in the way it is done. There aren't enough details here. We don't know if there were blankets/pillows involved, a severely sleep deprived mom who was unable to wake up, etc.

This is very sad and very scary. That being said I am not against co sleeping. Like previous posts have said there are many benefits. Cation should be used as to the bed, cover etc and alcohol/medication use of parent/s. All 3 of my kids have slept with me at some point. They a 3 slept in their cribs most the time. If you are nursing, you are way more likely to fall asleep, because of hormones released during the processes. I agree more details should be given on how this happen. Also, they don't give out totals on how many babies die while alone in their cribs. I believe they use stories like this to tip the scales in their favor, against co sleeping. Everyone I know has slept with their baby at some point.

This story is of particular interest because there were to babies. If you want to co sleep it can be wonderful, but do so with knowledge of how to do it safely. I slept in a bed other than mine and my husbands, in baby's room. It was set up to be safe, no big blankets etc. Often with my last baby, I would lay down to nurse him and wake up with him popped of but ready to latch back on. It can be a very wonderful experience. I just don't think it is fair to only show one side of the situation.

Being a new mother myself with my second child I know how hard it is in the first few months. You will do anything to get some sleep so I can understand how this happens bringing your babies to bed with you. However, instead of doing this please use a bassinet and put it right beside your bed. You can still hear them when you need to and get a better sleep yourself without them in your bed. This worked for me with both of my children. I feel so sorry for this mother. She will never forgive herself. Please let these angels be a lessen to other parents to never take their babies to bed with them!