Pasco baby deaths warn parents of co-sleeping

TAMPA (FOX 13) - There’s a serious warning for new parents after a pair of recent infant deaths in Pasco County. Both are believed to be the result of parents sharing the same bed with their newborns.

Experts compare co-sleeping to letting your baby sleep next to a butcher knife.

"When you look at the statistic for sleep-related deaths in babies, you see a huge number,” said FOX 13’s medical reporter, Dr. Joette Giovinco. “More than half occur when they're in the parent’s bed.”

In Florida, unsafe sleeping is a leading cause of preventable death among kids under the age of 1.

Last week, a pair of Pasco County families had their hearts broken when their infants died due to co-sleeping.  The parents are believed to have rolled over, suffocating them.

"It is definitely an alarming situation. We don't want more parents to go through a situation like that," said Eddie Daniels Jr.

Here's a simple way to keep your baby safe: Follow your ABC's. Baby's should sleep:

Alone on their...
Backs in a...
Crib, not in a bed.

"There are so many hazards. There are loose sheets, blankets, and pillows, the baby can fall off the bed, and there's also risk the parents may roll over and suffocate the child," added Dr. Jo.

Experts say sleep-related infant deaths are preventable.

Last year in Florida, the Department of Child and Families reported 92 deaths were caused by unsafe infant sleep practices.  In 2013, there were 115.