I read in the online Journal Sentinel today that another baby has died in a co-sleeping incident with her mother.The baby girl was 5 months old.

It seems to me these stories happen far too often in the Milwaukee area.

As I do not have any children myself,I do find it hard for me to try and lecture or pass judgement on a parent as to how the raise their children,but I do think that a parent co-sleeping with a baby is a really bad idea.

The only experts I have to consult on this matter are a few friends with children and my own mother.

I talked to 3 friends who all have kids,all said that they never co-slept with their children as babies or that they even considered it.

None claimed perfection,at least with their first babies,but if the baby needs to be fed in the middle of night,you sit up in a chair,that just comes with a new baby.You don't take the baby in the bed with you.

My mother is a R.N.(now retired) who worked in child health for nearly 40 years.She told me that even back in the 1970's they advised new mothers to never co-sleep with their baby.

She told me that they always told the new mother to put the baby to sleep in a crib and if they couldn't afford a crib to use something like a laundry basket,line it with a blanket,put the baby in it on the floor beside the bed.

The arguments that co-sleeping is a cultural thing or it is some way for bonding with the baby,well,I'm sorry,I don't buy it.

I think the truth is somewhere more in the area of the parent being selfish and reckless.A person can be reckless without really knowing they are being reckless,the law only sees that you acted in a reckless manner.

If a person was speeding and ran a stop sign,then hit and killed someone.We would hold that driver accountable for his or her actions.

I don't see a mother co-sleeping with a baby and causing that baby's death any different.To me,she was just as reckless and should be held to the same account.

It seems to me that people who insist on co-sleeping with a baby have the same sort of mindset that people who refuse to immunize their children have.They are being selfish children themselves.

I have no answer to this,I just think that it's the wrong thing to do and it is a selfish thing to do.

I do know this,too many babies are dying needlessly from co-sleeping with their parents who are supposed to care for them and love them.It's not right.