This is why doctors are claiming babies should sleep with their mothers until the age of THREE...

Publish Date
Thursday, 14 December 2017, 6:11PM
Photo / Getty Images

Photo / Getty Images

We've got some bad news for dads...

According to new research, babies should sleep with their mothers until they’re at least three or four years of age.

Why?

Because it will help children rest better and reduce heart-related stress.

The controversial advice comes from paediatrician Dr Nils Bergman, from the University of Cape Town, who believes that children who share their mother's bed bond more and it improves brain development leading to well-behaved children as they mature.

His advice is based on a study which monitored 16 babies.

The research also found that the hearts of babies who slept alone in a cot were three times more likely to be under stress.

Dr Bergman suggests babies should sleep on their mother's chest for the first few weeks after birth.

Then they should stay in bed with their mother until they are at least three years old.

However, many other experts fear sharing a bed could increase the risk of cot death.

But Bergman defended his advice saying when babies suffer bed deaths, it’s not typically related to the mothers being present. It has to do with other factors, such as alcohol, toxic fumes, cigarettes, large pillows, or dangerous toys.

The National Childbirth Trust in the United Kingdom agrees with babies sharing bed with their mothers as long as the parents haven’t been smoking, drinking, using drugs, are ill, obese, or excessively tired.

 

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