Use extra care when baby sleeps in the bed

Re: “Sleep, Baby. But ... Where?” [Sept. 18]: You forgot one very important tip for your readers.

The infant should be up next to your head where there is no way you could roll over on him. Use a small, firm pillow (firm foam is great) for yourself only on your side of the bed. You can slide baby down to nurse and then stay awake enough to slide him back up afterward.

The photo in your article shows baby next to the woman’s torso, which is not smart. There are covers over him and a soft pillow not far from his head.

NANCY NOE

Long Beach

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You say that “nearly half of 119 infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly during a four-year period in the St. Louis area did so while sleeping with someone else.” But doesn’t this mean that over half of the babies in this study died while sleeping alone?

And again, you say that “between January and July, 17 of the 41 presumptive SIDS cases reported in Los Angeles County involved infants who were found sleeping with someone else.” Doesn’t this mean that 24 of the 41 SIDS babies died while sleeping alone -- nearly half again the number who were bed sharing?

TINA KIMMEL

Oakland