title: Bedsharing and Oral Health-related Feeding Behaviors Among Zero- to Three-year-old Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between bedsharing and oral health-related feeding behaviors among zero- to three-year-old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from records of children attending the University of Iowa's Infant Oral Health Program (1998 to 2009), including maternal demographics, children's nighttime dietary practices, bedsharing habits, methods to help children sleep, and clinical evidence of plaque and caries. Statistical analyses utilized bivariate and logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mother-child dyads (n equals 629) who either bedshared every night (n equals 273) or did not bedshare (n equals 356) were included. Of the 629 children (mean±standard deviation [SD] age equals 21.6±12.1 months), 51 percent were male, 50 percent were nonwhite, and 72 percent lived with both parents. Logistic regression analysis revealed that children who bedshared were more likely to be healthy (OR equals 6.78; P=.008), older (OR equals 1.56; P=.007), nonwhite (OR equals 2.96; P<.001), live with a single mother (OR equals 3.41; P<.001), breastfed throughout the night (OR equals 4.33; P<.001), and bottle-fed and breastfed to help them sleep (OR equals 2.34; P=.03; OR equals 3.27; P=.03, respectively). Moreover, these children were more likely to be in the high caries-risk category (OR equals 2.19; P=.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bedsharing was significantly associated with the child's health status, age, race, nighttime feeding habits, and high caries-risk and with whom the child lived. Caries preventive measures should be targeted to mother-child dyads who bedshare.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric dentist in private practice, Kansas City; Mo., USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Axelsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. arwa-owais@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Arwa I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Owais
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics and Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA.
authors.forename: Cameron L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Perigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weber-Gasparoni
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001513:Beds; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003773:Dental Plaque; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007484:Iowa; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D012890:Sleep