ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INFANT NIGHTTIME‐SLEEP LOCATION AND ATTACHMENT SECURITY: NO EASY VERDICT. Issue 1 (31st December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mileva‐Seitz, Viara R.; Luijk, Maartje P.C.M.; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H.; Bakermans‐Kranenburg, Marian J.; Jaddoe, Vincent W.V.; Hofman, Albert; Verhulst, Frank C.; Tiemeier, Henning
• Is Part Of: Infant mental health journal. Volume 37:Issue 1(2016:Jan./Feb.)
• Page Start: 5
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2015-12-31
• Subjects: solitary sleeping -- bed‐sharing -- attachment -- mother -- infant -- sleep location -- co‐sleeping -- dormir solo -- compartir la cama -- afectividad -- madre -- infante -- lugar donde se duerme -- el dormir compartido -- dormir seul -- attachement en partageant un lit -- attachement -- mère -- bébé -- endroit où dormir -- dormir ensemble -- Einzelschlaf -- gemeinsame Bettnutzung -- Bindung -- Mutter -- Säugling -- Ort des Schlafens -- Co‐Sleeping -- 独り寝 -- 添い寝 (ベッドの共有) -- 愛着 -- 母親 -- 乳児 -- 睡眠場所 -- 添い寝 (一緒に寝ること) -- 單獨睡眠 -- 同床 -- 依附 -- 母親 -- 嬰兒 -- 睡覺地點 -- 同眠; Infant psychiatry -- Periodicals; Infant psychology -- Periodicals; 618.9289
• DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21547
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9641

Abstract

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.