Bed-Sharing Trend on the Rise: A Major Hazard for Infants [AUDIO]

"Bed-sharing," a trend of new parents putting their baby bed with them, is on the rise, despite the inherent dangers for the child.

Rutgers Pediatrics expert Barbara Ostfeld says sudden infant death syndrome remains a major hazard in bed-sharing. She says children can be encumbered by bedding and heavy pillows and adults in deep sleep, unaware of the baby.

"It's good. Bring the baby into bed with you, for feeding, comforting, nurturing, but after the feeding, when you are ready to go to sleep, that baby needs to be in a separate, safe, sleep setting," Ostfeld said.

According to information in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, bed-sharing went from 7 percent in 1993 to 14 percent in 2010. The incidence of sudden infant death syndrome has declined in New Jersey.

But Ostfeld agrees the public information effort about bed-sharing dangers might need to be ramped up.