Babies who share their beds with their parents may run a greater risk of SIDS, according to a new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

These claims come after the study examined the deaths of 8,207 babies. They found that 70 percent of the babies who died had been sharing a sleeping space with some other living being, be it parent or other animal. The risks associated with sharing a bed are the highest for babies four months old or less. From the age of four months to a year, the highest risk factors are soft objects, such as blankets or stuffed animals, sharing the space with the baby. Roughly one-third of the babies who had died were positioned on their sides or stomach.

The study was published on July 14 in the journal Pediatrics. Data for the study was collected using information gathered by the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths Case Reporting System. The deaths investigated were reported in 24 different states from 2004 to 2012.

The results from this study are somewhat limited, however. There was no control group, nor was the study designed to find causal links between co-sleeping and death. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended against sharing beds with infants as a preventative measure for SIDS.

Proponents of co-sleeping with infants are many. Reports indicate that the prevalence of bed sharing has doubled in the last 20 years. Some experts claim that sleeping with the parents allows the infant to sleep better and be more physiologically stable.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be kept in a separate sleeping space that is firm and free of other objects while still in the same room as the parents.