title: Exploratory study of bed-sharing and maternal-infant bonding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bed-sharing with an infant is controversial due to the increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy versus postulated benefits of the practice such as enhanced breastfeeding and maternal-infant bonding. This study evaluated the association between bed-sharing and maternal-infant bonding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred randomly selected mothers who had delivered in a large maternity unit in Auckland and whose infants were between the ages of 6 weeks and 4 months were sent a postal questionnaire asking about their bed-sharing practices last night, usually, and in the last 2 weeks. Included in the questionnaire were factors 1 and 2 questions from the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire to assess maternal-infant bonding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Responders totalled 172 (43%), and infants were a mean age of 11 weeks. Fourteen per cent of infants slept in a bed-sharing situation last night, 8% usually, and 41% had slept with an adult in the last 2 weeks. Nine per cent of mothers scored above the cut-off for factor 1 for impaired maternal-infant bonding. Infants of these mothers were more likely to bed-share last night, usually, and in the last 2 weeks, and were less likely to use a pacifier and to breastfeed. Bed-sharing mothers scored more highly on individual questions relating to being annoyed or irritated by their baby.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an inverse association between bed-sharing and maternal-infant bonding, which is contrary to the often expressed belief that bed-sharing enhances maternal-infant bonding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B Lynne
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: John Md
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Trecia A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wouldes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001513:Beds; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009520:New Zealand; D009769:Object Attachment; D012890:Sleep; D013398:Sudden Infant Death; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: bed-sharing; bonding; infant; maternal behaviour; mother-child relation; sudden infant death