Parents frequently wonder if it’s good or bad to share a bed with their young infants. Much of the answer to this question is based on intuition and cultural perspectives rather than on solid data pointing to “truth” or to an equivocally correct answer. Thus, in spite of the many studies already performed, co-sleeping remains a controversial topic with its recommendation or discouragement essentially left up to the parents. It should be noted that bed sharing is well-accepted and promoted as the norm in many cultures, but it is not as popular a choice in the United States as it is in many other societies.

The benefits of bed sharing may be substantial. For example, we know that infants who sleep with their mothers are nursed longer, but other possible factors instead of bed sharing could explain this association. Bed sharing is thought to foster bonding between parents and the infant. This would seem to make sense, but unfortunately, there have not been studies to prove this intuitive outcome.

Most of the negatives about bed sharing (and co-sleeping on the same sofa) are related to the risk of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Studies confirm that bed sharing is a significant risk for SIDS only in mothers who smoke, and that babies under 12 weeks of age are at greatest risk.

Every year, more than 200,000 children younger than 14 are treated for playground-related injuries nationwide. Here are tips for creating a safe play space from Dr. Jim Schmidt, co-founder of the Virginia Beach, Va.-based childproofing company Child Safety House Calls:

• Cushion it. Use at least 9 inches of a soft material—such as mulch or shredded rubber—to create a shock-absorbing surface for equipment up to 7 feet tall. If equipment is less than 5 feet tall, you also can choose to spread sand or gravel underneath (again, make it at least 9 inches deep).

• Create a fall zone. Cushioned surfacing should extend at least 6 feet in all directions from equipment.

Background checks becoming more widespread on heels of new Ind. law

With schools in Northwest Indiana stepping up their background checks of potential employees, as required by a new state law, many districts have begun checking the backgrounds of parents and others who volunteer at school, chaperone the weekly dance or take students on an overnight trip.

The School Town of Munster and Lake Central School Corp. are among two of the most recent districts to make sure paperwork is in place to conduct an expanded criminal background check on school volunteers.

Limited background checks for potential employees also are a thing of the past. Before, school districts used an Indiana State Police database to conduct free, limited criminal checks on potential employees.

A parent’s guide to youth sports and exercise

Playing sports is a great way for your child to stay fit and healthy, as well as to learn about teamwork, make friends, and develop a sense of personal satisfaction. In spite of all the benefits playing sports and participating in exercise can offer, kids’ injuries from sports are on the rise, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, so follow these simple guidelines to keep your kids safe.

Get Ready

Before you start signing up your kids for this season’s hottest sports team or have them begin their conditioning exercises, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the National SAFE Kids Campaign offer these recommendations:

Childproof your home before baby arrives

Children are inquisitive by nature and long to explore their surroundings. While this is an important trait for child development, curiosity can also lead to trouble. Kimberlee Mitchell, childproofer to the stars from Los Angeles, California, says that the number one killer of children ages 1 to 4 is unintentional injury, claiming more lives than disease and violence combined.

“Our homes are really hazard zones, but the good news is that 90 percent of these incidents are preventable,” she says. “The best protection is prevention, so be a proactive parent and childproof your home.”

Mitchell says the best way to be sure your home is safe is to hire a professional childproofer who can walk you through the process, but there are some ways to get started yourself.

Keeping children safe is a parent’s number one concern. With so many hazards in life it can be overwhelming. But you can make safety consideration a daily habit, just like putting on a seat belt whenever you get into a car. Four safety experts share their top tips.

Halloween Safety

Tooth decay from all that candy corn isn’t the only thing on a parent’s mind during Halloween. A fun time of the year, true, but happy kids on the loose at dusk can be a disaster in the making. Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council and popular Today show guest, says to think about what Halloween entails and whether it’s okay to forgo adult supervision. “There might be fire hazards, such as jack-o’-lanterns with real candles or tripping hazards such as steps,” she says. “Drivers may miss kids in dark costumes darting across the road.” One solution is to have several parents act as chaperones to keep everyone in a group and to hold hands with children under the age of 10.

Appy says to forgo masks that remove peripheral vision. The costume should be short enough so the child won’t trip and should have some sort of reflective feature. Kids can also hold a flashlight or a glow stick.

As a parent, for a first-time experience, it was almost as frightening feeding a baby solid food as it was watching my child drive a car. At least at the beginning, infants tend to swallow rather than chew their food. and it is not easy teaching a baby to chew all the time. Safety experts strongly recommend that round, firm food be chopped completely before being offered to children younger than 4 years old, but this advice may not be accepted by parents as practical, especially for 2 to 3 year olds. It is no wonder than most choking victims are young children.

The following is based on guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics: Any round, firm food should be considered to be a choking hazard in infants and young children. In this group, the most problematic foods are hot dogs, nuts, chunks of cheese and meat, whole grapes hard candy, and popcorn. Very small children should have these chopped into very small pieces. They do not need to be quite as cut up for the older toddler, but individual pieces should be no larger than one-half inch.

GO ASK YOUR MOTHER

Moms always know best when it comes to their children’s well-being. Unless, of course, they can’t decipher the ingredients in products. Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure (Center Street; $14.99) by Jennifer Taggart lists common hazardous chemicals, toxicology terms and a breakdown of the average person’s chemical body burden. (Not that you’re average.) Also, find out why your child should never play with your keys.

FYI: Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure (Center Street; $14.99) by Jennifer Taggart

Water safety is a topic of enormous importance in pediatrics as it is one of the leading causes of death in children. And for every child who dies by drowning, it is estimated at least one is left with permanent brain damage. Rather than review the common sense precautions everyone knows (though may not practice), I’d like to alert you to related topics with which you may not be familiar.

• Hot tubs and whirlpools are common. The same warnings about adequate supervision and limited access by young children for pools pertains to hot tubs, etc. One additional major danger: the suction on many of these is so strong an infants face can be trapped by the suction vent, causing death by suffocation. Other body parts can also be trapped by suction.

• Many infants drown in bathtubs, toilet bowls and water buckets each year.

The Amber Alert stamp. Missing Children's Day was May 25. The day was created in the 1980's to offer tips for parents and spotlight children who have yet to be found. Safety events around the country this month have been compiled by the center and posted on its parenting site, take25.org. (Art courtesy of of the U.S. Postal Service.)

Their names are eerily known to many: Adam Walsh, Polly Klaas, Amber Hagerman, some of the children who have come to symbolize families shattered through abductions and murders. • But they also represent hope in the form of new laws and other public policies aimed at keeping kids safe.

Safety experts emphasize that most child abduction cases result in family reunions. Since 1990, the recovery rate of missing children has jumped from 62 percent to 97 percent, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

National Missing Children’s Day, celebrated May 25, was created in the 1980s to help make that happen, offering tips for parents and spotlighting children who have yet to be found. Safety events around the country this month have been compiled by the national center and posted on its parenting site, take25.org.

Nancy McBride, safety director for the center, and Robin Sax, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who specialized in crimes against children, urged parents not to shy away from the subject in gently teaching children as young as toddlers how to stay safe. They also said it’s a process that should continue through the teen years.