1) I really, really, really had my tongue firmly in my cheek when I made the "cult" comment. I should realise that not everyone shares my sense of humour. I do stand by my contention that very few parents I see co-sleep out of choice but do so as a last resort. Yes, the baby is very happy with the arrangement but the parents are usually exhausted. Sleeping through the night is not an unreasonable goal for a family once a child has reached a certain age and I don't think that a parent should be made to feel guilty that the path to a decent night's rest might entail little Johnny moving to his own bed! 2) In reality I do not much care whether families co-sleep although I do raise the safety issues that have come up in the literature. I think that I am legally obliged to bring this to parents' attention but I am quite happy for them to do as they please. 3) >Co-sleeping is a parenting issue, not a medical issue. Discipline is a >parenting issue, not a medical issue. Crying it out is a parenting issue, >not a medical issue. Using pacifiers is a parenting issue, not a medical issue. As a paediatrician it is very much my role to assess and intervene regarding parenting, discipline and developmental issues etc. I accept that some areas may be less firmly supported by science as we would like but until then I do the best I can. Should I tell parents it is OK to use corporal punishment because that is their choice? Do I look the other way when I see incompetent parenting? (yes - a value judgement but a Real Issue nonetheless). Do I say nothing if a five year old comes in with a soother in his mouth? These are only a few examples of non-medical issues that come the way of the pediatrician - I could go on with more. As a Pediatrician I do have training and expertise on developmental and parenting issues and feel well quailified to offer advice. I really try to NOT to be anecdotal but wherever possible to use objective, factual information. Steve