title: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INFANT NIGHTTIME-SLEEP LOCATION AND ATTACHMENT SECURITY: NO EASY VERDICT.
abstract: We tested whether mother-infant bed-sharing is associated with increased secure infant-mother attachment, a previously unexplored association. Frequency of bed-sharing and mothers' nighttime comforting measures at 2 months were assessed with questionnaires in 550 Caucasian mothers from a population-based cohort. Attachment security was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure (M.D.S. Ainsworth, M.C. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978) at 14 months. When using a dichotomous variable, "never bed-sharing" (solitary sleepers) versus "any bed-sharing," the relative risk of being classified as insecurely attached for solitary-sleeping infants (vs. bed-sharers) was 1.21 (95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.40). In multivariate models, solitary sleeping was associated with greater odds of insecure attachment, adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.50, 95% CI = 1.02-2.20) and, in particular, with greater odds of resistant attachment, adjusted OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.10-2.76); and with a lower attachment security score, β = -0.12, t(495) = -2.61, p = .009. However, we found no evidence of a dose-response association between bed-sharing and secure attachment when using a trichotomous bed-sharing variable based on frequency of bed-sharing. Our findings demonstrate some evidence that solitary sleeping is associated with insecure attachment. However, the lack of a dose-response association suggests that further experimental study is necessary before accepting common notions that sharing a bed leads to children who are better or not better adjusted.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Viara R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Mileva-Seitz
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Maartje P C M
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Luijk
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam and Leiden University.
authors.forename: Marinus H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: van Ijzendoorn
authors.affiliation: Leiden University.
authors.forename: Marian J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bakermans-Kranenburg
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Verhulst
authors.affiliation: Erasmus University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001513:Beds; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009426:Netherlands; D009769:Object Attachment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Bindung; Co-Sleeping; Einzelschlaf; Mutter; Ort des Schlafens; Säugling; afectividad; attachement; attachement en partageant un lit; attachment; bed-sharing; bébé; co-sleeping; compartir la cama; dormir ensemble; dormir seul; dormir solo; el dormir compartido; endroit où dormir; gemeinsame Bettnutzung; infant; infante; lugar donde se duerme; madre; mother; mère; sleep location; solitary sleeping; 乳児; 依附; 同床; 同眠; 單獨睡眠; 嬰兒; 愛着; 母親; 添い寝 (ベッドの共有); 添い寝 (一緒に寝ること); 独り寝; 睡眠場所; 睡覺地點