Dozing on a sofa with your baby may be making sudden infant death syndrome 50 times more likely 

Thousands of parents may be putting their babies in danger by nodding off with them on a sofa or armchair.

Sleeping this way can raise a baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome 50 times.

But a survey has found that two in five parents have done so – and a quarter have done it more than once.

Parents are advised to put babies to sleep in a bed or cot because a firm mattress allows heat to escape from the backs of their heads. When a baby’s head sinks into a soft chair, the heat cannot escape so well, raising the risk of overheating.

Some experts believe this is one of the causes of sudden infant death syndrome, known as SIDS – the unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby.

Babies sleeping on a sofa or chair can also become trapped and suffocate.

Parents can safely co-sleep with children in some situations but the Lullaby Trust charity, which carried out the survey, has warned doing so on a sofa or chair, or after drinking or smoking, could pose a risk. More than 130 babies a year die co-sleeping with their parents.

Jenny Ward of the Lullaby Trust said: ‘Even if parents do not plan to co-sleep, many still fall asleep with babies unintentionally. Babies can and do die in high-risk co-sleeping situations.

The charity, which works to raise awareness of SIDS, found that 40 per cent of 8,500 parents surveyed had co-slept with a baby in an unsafe situation.

In such circumstances, a baby could stop breathing after being trapped between their parent and the seat of a chair. 

Parents are advised to put babies to sleep in a bed or cot because a firm mattress allows heat to escape from the backs of their heads. When a baby’s head sinks into a soft chair, the heat cannot escape so well, raising the risk of overheating [File photo]

Co-sleeping in a bed is not considered dangerous, but experts warn parents to clear duvets or pillows which put a baby at risk of overheating.

Some 250 babies a year die from SIDS in Britain. While the causes remain a mystery, failure of breathing, temperature regulation and genetic health problems may all be factors.

The Lullaby Trust advises parents to keep a Moses basket nearby so if they get sleepy they can place the baby in it.

It says co-sleeping should be avoided if a baby was born prematurely before 37 weeks.