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Bed-sharing and the micro-environment of sleep in early infancy. I' Physiological effects in the infant
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Bed-sharing and the micro-environment of sleep in early infancy. I' Physiological effects in the infant

A Sawczenko, P J Fleming, Jeanine Young, B Galland and P Blair
Proceedings of the 6th SIDS International Conference, p.51
SIDS International Conference, 6th (Auckland, New Zealand, 08-Feb-2000–11-Feb-2000)
2000
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http://www.ispid.org/fileadmin/user_upload/textfiles/SIDSI2000_handbook1Feb.pdfView
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Abstract

Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine sudden infant death syndrome
Overheating and rebreathing have been suggested as possible contributory factors to SIDS. Asphyxia and overlaying have been suggested as additional factors when infants bedshare with parents. Aim: To compare infant microenvironment and thermal physiology whilst bedsharing and whilst sleeping in a crib in the same room as mother ("room-sharing"). Methods: Polygraphic recordings of infant and environmental temperature, inspired CO2, sleep state, respiration, ECG, oxygen saturation and infrared video were made of 10 mother infant pairs (5 routine bedsharers, 5 room-sharers) on two consecutive nights (randomized to 1 night bed-sharing (BS) then 1 room-sharing (RS), or vice versa) at monthly intervals from 2 to 5 months of age in a thermally-controlled sleep laboratory. Results: Complete physiological and video recordings of 19 pairs of BS and RS nights (38 recordings) were obtained. Infant sleep patterns were no different between BS & RS. All infants slept supine, and were fully breast-fed. Insulation of bedding was higher (6.3 tog vs 4.6 tog, p =0.015), and the temperature under the bedding and around the infant's head was 1 - 2.5∞C higher on BS than on RS. Oscillations in rectal temperature with sleep state (higher in Rapid Eye Movement sleep) were no different between BS and RS. Infant skin (shin, abdomen, forehead) temperatures were higher, but the nadir of rectal temperature was lower on BS nights. Skin temperatures, but not rectal temperatures, were higher when infants slept in direct skin to skin contact with their mothers. Inspired CO2 was no higher on BS than RS nights, and the highest value (2.4%) was for a swaddled RS infant. Conclusions: Despite higher environmental temperatures, infants could thermoregulate as effectively when bedsharing as when alone. Close mother-baby contact during the night did not result in CO2 rebreathing or impaired thermoregulation in healthy infants.

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