title: Higher rectal temperatures in co-sleeping infants.
abstract: The effect on deep body temperature of infants co-sleeping (with either or both parents) is investigated in this case control study. Overnight continuous recordings of rectal temperature were made from 34 babies co-sleeping with one or both parents throughout the night and 34 infants matched for age, feeding regimen, parental smoking, thermal environment, sleeping position, and sex who slept alone. The co-sleeping infants had significantly higher rectal temperatures from two hours after bedtime, when the initial fall in sleeping body temperature was complete. The mean rectal temperature of co-sleeping infants between two and eight hours was 0.1 degree C higher than that of infants sleeping alone (p < 0.04). Given the very small variance in rectal temperature this probably reflects a considerable physiological difference between the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Leicester.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tuffnell
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wailoo
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001831:Body Temperature; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012881:Skin Temperature; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*