The death of a 3-week-old Tucson infant in his home Thursday morning shows the dangers of a controversial yet popular practice called co-sleeping.

Co-sleeping — a parent and an infant sharing a bed — was a contributing factor in the death and in two other infant deaths here this year.

Thursday's is the 11th such case Sgt. Carlos Valdez, a detective in the Tucson Police Department's dependent-child unit, has handled since he began his job in July 2005.

"It's heart-wrenching when a mom asks me 'How did my baby die?' and we have to say 'It's possible it was from sharing the bed with your baby,' " Valdez said.

Co-sleeping is debated in medical and parental circles.

On one side there's the added bonding that mom and dad can have with a baby who is sharing a bed with them. For moms who are breast-feeding, it's convenient. There are cultural and economic reasons adults and infants share beds, too.

Full report: Risks of parent and baby sharing a bed

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