More consistent messages about the dangers of bedsharing with babies are needed, child health experts say.
Auckland University professor of child health research Ed Mitchell said bedsharing absolutely increased risk of babies dying from sudden infant death syndrome (Sids).
"About 50 percent of the deaths are occurring in a bedsharing situations," he told Radio New Zealand.
Prof Mitchell's comments follow a Wellington coroner's inquest yesterday into the deaths of seven babies, including four who died while sharing a bed with others.
Wellington coroner Garry Evans reserved his findings, but the practice of parents sleeping with babies and other "unsafe" sleeping practices was expected to figure in his findings to be issued next year.
Prof Mitchell said the message to not share beds was included in advice to parents on the Ministry of Health website.
"But the message is being delivered very inconsistently," he said.
"There are a number of breastfeeding advocates ...who are recommending bedsharing to improve breastfeeding rates. "
There were several initiatives that provided an alternative to bedsharing.
"At the moment we don't know of any way of doing bedsharing completely safely -- having the cot right up close to the bed so the baby's in close contact proximity, making breastfeeding easy, must surely be the right way to go."
Paediatrician Dawn Elder, who has studied unexplained baby deaths in the Wellington region over the last 10 years, also said more information was needed.
"Certainly there is information out there, but there isn't enough," she said.
"How do we look at getting more information to families in different ways. Sometimes the pamphlet isn't appropriate for every family out there, so how do we do that better."
The coroner told the families that although the inquests were taxing they deserved more than a diagnosis under the "veil" of sudden infant death syndrome.
Parents needed to know what had really gone wrong.
