I agree with what you say, but in my experience here in Sicily, I'm sure there is also a good percentage of bad faith. In the hospital where Greta (my daughter) was born, and later in doctors waiting rooms, I saw a lot of mothers actively discouraged to breastfeed their children in a way or the other. Because co-sleeping is a very important factor in the success rate of breastfeeding I wonder if there is also some connection with many doctors discouraging it.
I know this looks odd but I know first-hand people working inside the hospital and I got internal acknowledges about the fact that hospitals received pressurs in the context of breastfeeding once they started to encourage it too broadly. Artificial milk is a 50$/week tax they are able to get from most newborns for months.
Hmm perhaps I'm just a cynic, but if health care providers are coming out with such garbage as discouraging breast feeding, it's got to make you wonder whether they want people to be sicker!
But the fact is, being a doctor doesn't make you an expert in nutrition or diet, and it certainly doesn't make you an expert in things like co-sleeping.
I'm pretty sure the only deaths you'll have these days as a result of co-sleeping is when one of the parents smoked, took drugs or was obese (and usually a combination).