Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Home-Based EEG Hyperscanning for Infant-Caregiver Social Interactions
08:08

Home-Based EEG Hyperscanning for Infant-Caregiver Social Interactions

Published on: May 31, 2024

The prevalence and characteristics associated with parent-infant bed-sharing in England

P S Blair1, H L Ball

  • 1FSID Research Department, Division of Child Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. p.s.blair@bris.ac.uk

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|November 24, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Parent-infant bed-sharing is common in England, with nearly half of neonates sharing a bed at some point. This practice is strongly linked to breastfeeding and not associated with socioeconomic status.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Sociology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Parent-infant bed-sharing is a common practice globally.
  • Understanding its prevalence and associated factors in England is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of parent-infant bed-sharing in England.
  • To identify factors associated with bed-sharing practices.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from a two-year local longitudinal study and a three-year national cross-sectional study.
  • Included 261 infants in North Tees and 1095 infants from five English health regions.
  • Collected data on night-time sleeping practices.

Main Results:

  • Almost half of neonates (46-47%) bed-shared at some time.
  • In the first month, over a quarter of parents (27-30%) slept with their baby.
  • Bed-sharing was not linked to maternal age, single parenthood, family size, season, or socioeconomic deprivation.
  • Breastfeeding showed a strong association with bed-sharing.
  • Prevalence was uniform from 3 to 12 months, with over a fifth (21%) bed-sharing nightly.

Conclusions:

  • Parent-infant bed-sharing is a common practice across England.
  • The practice is not specific to socioeconomic class.
  • Breastfeeding is a significant factor associated with bed-sharing.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Parental Care00:55

Parental Care

Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
Nursing Assessment of the Genitourinary System I: Health History01:21

Nursing Assessment of the Genitourinary System I: Health History

The genitourinary system is critical to maintaining fluid balance, waste elimination, and reproductive function. Nurses play a vital role in assessing this system, beginning with a thorough health history. This process involves gathering patient information, identifying risk factors, and recognizing symptoms of genitourinary disorders. Early detection is vital for timely interventions and management.1. Gathering Patient InformationA complete health history includes the patient’s personal,...
Nightmares and Night Terrors01:18

Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors represent two distinct types of sleep disturbances that differ in timing, characteristics, and the sleeper's recall of the event. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that usually awaken the sleeper from REM sleep, a stage of sleep where brain activity is high, and dreams are most frequent. Upon awakening, individuals often have detailed recollections of their nightmares, which can include themes of threats to survival, security, or self-esteem.
Nightmares often...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation01:13

Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation

Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...