Fathwa, - Sleeping with newborn/child

Question:
I would like to know, according to Islam, what is the best way for
small children to sleep, from newborn to 2,3 years old. The culture
that i was raised into, a new born child used to sleep with parents,
on their bed, usually between them, or in a separate bed, with them in
the same room. I used to believe it's good for the child, to be close
to his parents while sleeping , and it gives him a sense of security.
I have been told, that it's unhealthy and dangerous for the child
(especially newborn) to sleep with parents, and it's against modesty
too. Can you please give the Islamic perspective for this situation.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you, your husband, and your new baby in good
health and spirits.
Thank you for your question. I don't know of any specific Islamic
injunction about co-sleeping. There is absolutely no problem with
having your baby in the bed with you. In fact, if you're
breastfeeding, which, according to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam
al-Kawthari,is a religious and moral responsibility toward your child,
then it makes a lot of sense to co-sleep.
If you're concerned about your baby being inadvertently harmed,
however, there are other options, such as attaching a bassinet to your
bed, or putting the baby's bed right next to yours.
If you want to keep your baby in the bed with you, then beware of
having too much soft bedding or pillows. And don't have your baby in a
position where he or she could fall between the mattress and the wall,
or fall out of the bed.
Please see the following article for more information about the pros
and cons of co-sleeping: Cosleeping and Your Baby.
As far as modesty is concerned, this is not an issue when your child
is a baby. Modesty only becomes an issue when your child is old enough
to understand the concept of covering one's private areas. This is
usually around the age of four or five, but, again, this depends on
your child.
The only thing that you might want to consider is that having a baby
in the bed, for obvious reasons, can put a damper on your intimate
life. However, you can deal with that by simply setting up a bed for
your baby in another room, so that Mommy and Daddy can have privacy
when they need it.
And Allah knows best.