title: Mother-child bed-sharing in toddlerhood and cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the predictors and consequences of mother-child bed-sharing at 1, 2, and 3 years of age in a racially/ethnically and geographically diverse sample of low-income families across the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 944 low-income families who had children assessed at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers who were Hispanic and black were more likely to bed-share with children at ages 1, 2, and 3 years than other mothers. Maternal negative regard also predicted bed-sharing. Bed-sharing at ages 1 to 3 years was bivariately associated with poorer behavior and cognition at age 5 years. However, these associations lost significance when child and mother characteristics were controlled.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There seem to be no negative associations between bed-sharing in toddlerhood and children's behavior and cognition at age 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: R Gabriela
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Barajas
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brooks-Gunn
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001513:Beds; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D011203:Poverty / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012890:Sleep