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Bilgin A, Morales-Muñoz I, Winsper C, Wolke D. Associations between bed-sharing in infancy and childhood internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Attach Hum Dev 2024:1-20. [PMID: 39033345 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2024.2380427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Bed-sharing is a controversial but common parenting practice with claimed benefits for emotional and behavioral development. Using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (N = 16,599), this prospective study investigated whether bed-sharing at 9 months is associated with childhood internalizing and externalizing symptom trajectories. Children were grouped by their patterns of co-developing internalizing and externalizing symptoms from 3 to 11 years of age using a parallel process latent class growth analysis. There were no associations between bed-sharing at 9 months of age and internalizing and externalizing symptom trajectories across childhood. This finding suggests that bed-sharing at 9 months has no positive or negative influence on the development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms across childhood. Clinicians should inform parents that bed-sharing during the second half of the first year is unlikely to have an impact on the later emotional and behavioral development of the children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayten Bilgin
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Isabel Morales-Muñoz
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Catherine Winsper
- Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Research and Innovation, Coventry, UK
| | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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2
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Cato K, Funkquist EL, Karlsson Rosenblad A. Instrument development and an intervention to increase parents' self-efficacy regarding their infant's sleep. SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE 2024; 39:100944. [PMID: 38183709 DOI: 10.1016/j.srhc.2023.100944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many Swedish parents experience that their infant has sleeping problems. Parents' self-efficacy regarding their infants' sleep may play an important role in how they perceive these problems. This pilot study aimed to develop an instrument measuring parents' self-efficacy regarding their infant's sleep and to examine if parents' self-efficacy was affected by an intervention focusing on parental education. METHOD Mothers and fathers, at a maternity unit in Sweden, were drawn into either an intervention (n = 46) or a control (n = 42) group. The intervention group received a home visit from a nurse who provided information about infant sleep; the importance of attachment; and advice regarding sleep, breastfeeding and bed sharing, including guidelines for safe bed sharing. Three months later, the participants answered questions on background data, breastfeeding, sleep and self-efficacy. RESULTS The 11-item two-factor Uppsala Parental Self-Efficacy about Infant Sleep Instrument (UPPSEISI) was constructed to measure parents' perceived self-efficacy. In adjusted analyses, being in the intervention group was associated with a higher self-efficacy (P = 0.035), as were being a mother (P = 0.003) and being satisfied with one's own sleep (P = 0.007), while parents' own sleeping problems were associated with a lower self-efficacy (P = 0.015). CONCLUSION Importantly, parental education may increase parents' self-efficacy regarding their infant's sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Cato
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14 B, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Eva-Lotta Funkquist
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14 B, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andreas Karlsson Rosenblad
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Clinical Diabetology and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Statistics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Beaugrand M, Jaramillo V, Markovic A, Huber R, Kohler M, Schoch SF, Kurth S. Lack of association between behavioral development and simplified topographical markers of the sleep EEG in infancy. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2023; 15:100098. [PMID: 37424705 PMCID: PMC10329166 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2023.100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The sleep EEG mirrors neuronal connectivity, especially during development when the brain undergoes substantial rewiring. As children grow, the slow-wave activity (SWA; 0.75-4.25 Hz) spatial distribution in their sleep EEG changes along a posterior-to-anterior gradient. Topographical SWA markers have been linked to critical neurobehavioral functions, such as motor skills, in school-aged children. However, the relationship between topographical markers in infancy and later behavioral outcomes is still unclear. This study aims to explore reliable indicators of neurodevelopment in infants by analyzing their sleep EEG patterns. Thirty-one 6-month-old infants (15 female) underwent high-density EEG recordings during nighttime sleep. We defined markers based on the topographical distribution of SWA and theta activity, including central/occipital and frontal/occipital ratios and an index derived from local EEG power variability. Linear models were applied to test whether markers relate to concurrent, later, or retrospective behavioral scores, assessed by the parent-reported Ages & Stages Questionnaire at ages 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Results indicate that the topographical markers of the sleep EEG power in infants were not significantly linked to behavioral development at any age. Further research, such as longitudinal sleep EEG in newborns, is needed to better understand the relationship between these markers and behavioral development and assess their predictive value for individual differences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Jaramillo
- University of Surrey, School of Psychology, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Andjela Markovic
- University of Fribourg, Department of Psychology, Fribourg, Switzerland
- University Hospital Zurich, Department of Pulmonology, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reto Huber
- Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, Switzerland
| | - Malcolm Kohler
- University Hospital Zurich, Department of Pulmonology, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah F. Schoch
- University Hospital Zurich, Department of Pulmonology, Zurich, Switzerland
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Salome Kurth
- University of Fribourg, Department of Psychology, Fribourg, Switzerland
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4
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Markovic A, Schoch SF, Huber R, Kohler M, Kurth S. The sleeping brain's connectivity and family environment: characterizing sleep EEG coherence in an infant cohort. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2055. [PMID: 36739318 PMCID: PMC9899221 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain connectivity closely reflects brain function and behavior. Sleep EEG coherence, a measure of brain's connectivity during sleep, undergoes pronounced changes across development under the influence of environmental factors. Yet, the determinants of the developing brain's sleep EEG coherence from the child's family environment remain unknown. After characterizing high-density sleep EEG coherence in 31 healthy 6-month-old infants by detecting strongly synchronized clusters through a data-driven approach, we examined the association of sleep EEG coherence from these clusters with factors from the infant's family environment. Clusters with greatest coherence were observed over the frontal lobe. Higher delta coherence over the left frontal cortex was found in infants sleeping in their parents' room, while infants sleeping in a room shared with their sibling(s) showed greater delta coherence over the central parts of the frontal cortex, suggesting a link between local brain connectivity and co-sleeping. Finally, lower occipital delta coherence was associated with maternal anxiety regarding their infant's sleep. These interesting links between sleep EEG coherence and family factors have the potential to serve in early health interventions as a new set of targets from the child's immediate environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andjela Markovic
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. .,Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sarah F Schoch
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Reto Huber
- Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Malcolm Kohler
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Salome Kurth
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Center of Competence Sleep & Health Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I. Evidence Base for 2022 Updated Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment to Reduce the Risk of Sleep-Related Infant Deaths. Pediatrics 2022; 150:188305. [PMID: 35921639 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2022-057991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Every year in the United States, approximately 3500 infants die of sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision [ICD-10] R95), ill-defined deaths (ICD-10 R99), and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (ICD-10 W75). After a substantial decline in sleep-related deaths in the 1990s, the overall death rate attributable to sleep-related infant deaths have remained stagnant since 2000, and disparities persist. The triple risk model proposes that SIDS occurs when an infant with intrinsic vulnerability (often manifested by impaired arousal, cardiorespiratory, and/or autonomic responses) undergoes an exogenous trigger event (eg, exposure to an unsafe sleeping environment) during a critical developmental period. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of all sleep-related deaths. This includes supine positioning; use of a firm, noninclined sleep surface; room sharing without bed sharing; and avoidance of soft bedding and overheating. Additional recommendations for SIDS risk reduction include human milk feeding; avoidance of exposure to nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and illicit drugs; routine immunization; and use of a pacifier. New recommendations are presented regarding noninclined sleep surfaces, short-term emergency sleep locations, use of cardboard boxes as a sleep location, bed sharing, substance use, home cardiorespiratory monitors, and tummy time. In addition, additional information to assist parents, physicians, and nonphysician clinicians in assessing the risk of specific bed-sharing situations is included. The recommendations and strength of evidence for each recommendation are published in the accompanying policy statement, which is included in this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Y Moon
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Rebecca F Carlin
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care and Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, New York
| | - Ivan Hand
- Department of Pediatrics, SUNY-Downstate College of Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals, Kings County, Brooklyn, New York
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Using complexity science to understand the role of co-sleeping (bedsharing) in mother-infant co-regulatory processes. Infant Behav Dev 2022; 67:101723. [PMID: 35594598 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Human infants spend most of their time sleeping, but over the first few years of life their sleep becomes regulated to coincide more closely with adult sleep (Galland et al., 2012; Paavonen et al., 2020). Evidence shows that co-sleeping played a role in the evolution of infant sleep regulation, as it is part of an ancient behavioral complex representing the biopsychosocial microenvironment in which human infants co-evolved with their mothers through millions of years of human history (Ball, 2003; McKenna 1986, 1990). This paper is a conceptual, interdisciplinary, integration of the literature on mother-infant co-sleeping and other mother-infant co-regulatory processes from an evolutionary (biological) perspective, using complexity science. Viewing the mother-infant dyad as a "complex adaptive system" (CAS) shows how the CAS fits assumptions of regulatory processes and reveals the role of the CAS in the ontogeny of mother-infant co-regulation of physiological (thermoregulation, breathing, circadian rhythm coordination, nighttime synchrony, and heart rate variability) and socioemotional (attachment and cortisol activity) development.
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7
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Gettler LT, Kuo PX, Sarma MS, Lefever JEB, Cummings EM, McKenna JJ, Braungart-Rieker JM. US fathers' reports of bonding, infant temperament and psychosocial stress based on family sleep arrangements. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 9:460-469. [PMID: 35154780 PMCID: PMC8830308 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Evolutionary-grounded sleep research has been critical to establishing the mutual dependence of breastfeeding and nighttime sleep proximity for mothers and infants. Evolutionary perspectives on cosleeping also often emphasize the emotional motivations for and potential benefits of sleep proximity, including for parent-infant bonding. However, this potential link between infant sleep location and bonding remains understudied for both mothers and fathers. Moreover, in Euro-American contexts bedsharing has been linked to family stress and difficult child temperament, primarily via maternal reports. We know relatively little about whether paternal psychosocial dynamics differ based on family sleep arrangements, despite fathers and other kin often being present in the cosleeping environment across cultures. Here, we aim to help address some of these gaps in knowledge pertaining to fathers and family sleep arrangements. Methodology Drawing on a sample of Midwestern U.S. fathers (N=195), we collected sociodemographic and survey data to analyze links between infant nighttime sleep location, paternal psychosocial well-being, father-infant bonding, and infant temperament. From fathers’ reports, families were characterized as routinely solitary sleeping, bedsharing, or roomsharing (without bedsharing). Results We found that routinely roomsharing or bedsharing fathers, respectively, reported stronger bonding than solitary sleepers. Bedsharing fathers also reported that their infants had more negative temperaments and also tended to report greater parenting-related stress due to difficulties with their children. Conclusions These cross-sectional results help to highlight how a practice with deep phylogenetic and evolutionary history, such as cosleeping, can be variably expressed within communities with the potential for family-dependent benefits or strains. Evolutionary-grounded cosleeping research has elucidated the intimate connections between mother-infant sleep proximity and breastfeeding. However, some Euro-American research indicates that bedsharing can coincide with family strain and stress. Here, U.S. fathers who routinely roomshared or bedshared, respectively, reported stronger bonds to their babies than solitary sleeping fathers, but bedsharing fathers also reported more negative infant temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - Patty X Kuo
- Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - E Mark Cummings
- William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - James J McKenna
- Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
| | - Julia M Braungart-Rieker
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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8
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Bilgin A, Wolke D. Bed-Sharing in the First 6 Months: Associations with Infant-Mother Attachment, Infant Attention, Maternal Bonding, and Sensitivity at 18 Months. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2022; 43:e9-e19. [PMID: 34117203 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000000966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate whether bed-sharing during the first 6 months of life is associated with infant's attachment and behavioral outcomes and mother's bonding and sensitive parenting at 18 months of age. METHODS The sample with complete longitudinal data comprised 178 infants and their caretakers. Bed-sharing was assessed with maternal report at term, 3, 6, and 18 months. Infant attachment was measured at 18 months using the strange situation procedure. Infant behavioral outcomes (i.e., poor attention/hyperactivity and task persistence) were assessed with 2 observational measures at 18 months. Maternal sensitivity was observed at 3 and 18 months, and mothers reported on bonding to their infant at term, 3, and 18 months. RESULTS Bed-sharing was common at term (41.2%), which decreased at 3 months (22.6%) followed by a slight increase at 6 (27.5%) and 18 months of age (31.3%). No associations between bed-sharing during the first 6 months and infant-mother attachment and infant behavioral outcomes at 18 months were found. Similarly, there were no associations between bed-sharing during the first 6 months and maternal bonding and sensitivity at consequent assessment points (i.e., 3 and 18 months). CONCLUSION Bed-sharing during the first 6 months is not associated with positive or negative outcomes about infant-mother attachment, infant behavior, maternal bonding, or sensitive parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayten Bilgin
- School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Dieter Wolke
- Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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Barry ES, McKenna JJ. Reasons mothers bedshare: A review of its effects on infant behavior and development. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 66:101684. [PMID: 34929477 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Bedsharing is controversial for nighttime caregiving in the U.S. today, as in most of the West. However, from the standpoint of evolutionary pediatrics, anthropology, and cultural psychology, bedsharing is not controversial at all, representing the context for human infant evolution and conferring a host of physiological benefits to the infant as well as the mother. In an effort to understand the rise in Western bedsharing in recent decades (and following Ball, 2002; McKenna & Volpe, 2007), Salm Ward (2015) systematically reviewed the literature on mother-infant bedsharing and identified ten reasons why mothers choose to bedshare: (1) breastfeeding, (2) comforting for mother or infant, (3) better/more sleep for infant or parent, (4) monitoring, (5) bonding/ attachment, (6) environmental reasons, (7) crying, (8) cultural or familial traditions, (9) disagree with danger, and (10) maternal instinct. The current paper offers the "review behind the review," highlighting the scientific evidence behind the reasons mothers give for their decision to bedshare, focusing on how mothers' decisions about infant sleep location influence infant behavior and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine S Barry
- Human Development & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, Fayette, The Eberly Campus, USA.
| | - James J McKenna
- Mother-Baby Sleep Lab, Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA; Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
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10
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Napping alone in the snow and cuddling with mommy at night: An exploratory, qualitative study of Norwegian beliefs on infant sleep. Infant Behav Dev 2021; 65:101656. [PMID: 34700149 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study addresses Norwegian infants' sleeping places during the day and night. In the first part we asked the general public to indicate where they think infants should sleep by placing stickers on a depiction of different sleeping places. This revealed that infants were expected to predominantly sleep outside in a stroller during the day and either bedshare, room share or sleep independently from their parents at night. Interviews with Norwegian mothers confirmed these patterns and revealed that mothers emphasized the benefits of fresh air and being out in nature. They expressed valuing independence, though their opinions on how this could be achieved diverged, some proposing independent, other co-sleeping. Other outcomes of sleeping arrangements were rarely mentioned. Some, particularly mothers whose children bedshared or had different sleeping places from one night to the other or throughout the night, emphasized the infants' right to choose how to sleep. None of the mothers endorsed letting infants cry themselves to sleep but many mentioned the importance of the child feeling secure. We argue that the seemingly contradictory sleeping patterns is in line with cultural values for independence, social cohesion and a love of nature.
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11
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Chen Z, Dai Y, Liu X, Liu J. Early Childhood Co-Sleeping Predicts Behavior Problems in Preadolescence: A Prospective Cohort Study. Behav Sleep Med 2021; 19:563-576. [PMID: 32946284 PMCID: PMC10117418 DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2020.1818564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND Co-sleeping is common practice around the globe. The relationship between early childhood co-sleeping and adolescent behavior problems remains uncertain. We aim to identify whether early childhood co-sleeping can predict behavior problems in preadolescence. PARTICIPANTS A cohort of 1,656 Chinese preschool children were followed up in adolescence. METHODS Prospective cohort study design involving two waves of data collection from the China Jintan Cohort (1,656 children aged 3-5 years). Co-sleeping history was collected at 3-5-years-old via parent-reported questionnaire at wave I data collection. Behavior problems were measured twice in childhood and preadolescence, respectively. Adolescent behavior problems were measured by integrating data from self-report, parent-report and teacher-report using the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment. Predictions were assessed using the general linear model with mixed effects on the inverse probability weight propensity-matched sample. RESULTS 1,656 children comprising 55.6% boys aged 4.9 ± 0.6 were initially enrolled in the first wave of data collection. In the second wave of data collection, 1,274 children were 10.99 ± 0.74 (76.9%) aged 10-13 years were retained. Early childhood co-sleeping is significantly associated with increased behavior problems in childhood (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.22-2.06, ps<0.03) and preadolescence (OR 1.40-2.27, ps<0.02). Moreover, co-sleeping history significantly predicted multiscale increase in internal (OR 1.63-2.61, ps<0.02) and external behavior problems in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS Early childhood co-sleeping is associated with multiple behavioral problems reported by parents, teachers, and children themselves. Early childhood co-sleeping predicts preadolescent internalizing and externalizing behavior after controlling for baseline behavior problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehang Chen
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ying Dai
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xianchen Liu
- Kelin Health Research, Montgomery, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jianghong Liu
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Exploring Perinatal Indicators of Infant Social-Emotional Development: A Review of the Replicated Evidence. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2021; 24:450-483. [PMID: 34125355 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-021-00356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The importance of infant social-emotional development for outcomes across the lifecourse has been amply demonstrated. Despite this, most screening measures of social-emotional development are designed for children 18 months of age and over, with a clear gap in earlier infancy. No systematic review has yet harvested the evidence for candidate indicators in the perinatal window. This paper examines modifiable risk and protective factors for two seminal early markers of social-emotional development: attachment security and behavioral regulation mid-infancy. We searched meta-analytic and longitudinal studies of developmental relationships between modifiable exposures in the perinatal window (pregnancy to 10 months postpartum) and attachment and behavioral regulation status measured between 12 and 18 months. Six electronic databases were used: ERIC, PsycINFO, Medline Complete, Informit, Embase, and Scopus. Twelve meta-analytic reviews and 38 original studies found replicated evidence for 12 indicators across infant, caregiving, and contextual domains predictive of infant behavioral regulation and attachment status between 12 and 18 months. Key among these were caregiving responsiveness, maternal mental health, couple relationship, and SES as a contextual factor. Perinatal factors most proximal to the infant had the strongest associations with social-emotional status. Beyond very low birthweight and medical risk, evidence for infant-specific factors was weaker. Risk and protective relationships were related but not always inverse. Findings from this review have the potential to inform the development of reliable tools for early screening of infant social-emotional development for application in primary care and population health contexts.
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Lionetti F, Dellagiulia A, Verderame C, Sperati A, Bodale G, Spinelli M, Fasolo M. The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire: Identification of sleep dimensions, normative values, and associations with behavioral problems in Italian preschoolers. Sleep Health 2021; 7:390-396. [PMID: 33867310 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the use of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) to evaluate sleep problems dimensions, norm values, and association of sleep problems with behavioral problems in Italian preschoolers. DESIGN Sleep dimensions in CSHQ were investigated via parallel and principal component analyses, norm and at-risk values were investigated by exploring the association between CSHQ and the CBCL sleep problems scale, and bivariate associations between CSHQ and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems were computed. PARTICIPANTS A total of 725 mothers of preschool children (mean age = 4.59 years; SD = 0.97 years; range: 3-6 years) from 10 kindergartens in Central Italy. MEASUREMENTS CSHQ together with the Child Behavior Checklist 1 ½-5 (CBCL). RESULTS The analyses suggested the existence of 7 sleep dimensions, which were meaningfully interpretable. The CSHQ total score had good internal consistency and showed strong associations with the sleep problems scale of the CBCL. Children scoring in the normative range of the CBCL sleep problems scale had a mean value at the CSHQ total score of 47.03 (6.42), children scoring in the borderline and clinical range (4.4%) of 57.13 (5.11). Moderate associations were found between CSHQ total score and internalizing and CBCL externalizing behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS CSHQ values were higher than those reported in other countries and with school-age children, but only a small number of children belonged to the at-risk group based on CBCL norms for the sleep problems scale. CSHQ moderately and comparably correlated with internalizing and externalizing problems. The CSHQ is a meaningful tool for the investigation of sleep problems in Italian preschoolers. Given the heterogeneity of item frequencies at a dimension level, considering scores along items and dimensions might be more informative at a clinical and applied level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Lionetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Italy; Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | | | - Chiara Verderame
- Department of Psychology, Salesian University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Sperati
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Gabriela Bodale
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Maria Spinelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Mirco Fasolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Italy
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14
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Barry ES. Sleep Consolidation, Sleep Problems, and Co-Sleeping: Rethinking Normal Infant Sleep as Species-Typical. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2021; 182:183-204. [PMID: 33783334 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2021.1905599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Infants evolved in the context of close contact (including co-sleeping). Evolutionary context is rarely considered in psychological infant sleep research, and Western sleep researchers make assumptions about what optimal "normal" infant sleep is and how to achieve early, deep, infant sleep consolidation and avoid infant sleep problems. However, an evolutionary and anthropological view of infant sleep as species-typical recognizes that human evolution likely prepared the infant brain for optimal development within its evolutionary context - co-sleeping. Thus, "normal" infant sleep, sleep consolidation, and sleep problems should all be understood within the framework of co-sleeping infants, not the historically new-phenomenon of solitary-sleeping infants. Much work needs to be done in order to understand "normal" infant sleep as species-typical and how adaptive infants are to environments that stray from their evolutionary norm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine S Barry
- Human Development & Family Studies, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Lemont Furnace, PA, USA
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15
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A Nursing Perspective on Infant Bed-Sharing Using Multidisciplinary Theory Integration. ANS Adv Nurs Sci 2020; 43:338-348. [PMID: 32956089 DOI: 10.1097/ans.0000000000000326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against bed-sharing between infants and caregivers due to an association with suffocation. Caregivers continue to share a bed with their infant despite these recommendations for a multitude of reasons. A close examination of the bed-sharing literature reveals that the debate is fundamentally about theoretical differences. The major theories used to frame this problem include the triple risk model of bed-sharing and evolutionary theories. Nurses are masters of multidisciplinary collaboration and are well positioned to unify the triple risk and evolutionary views of infant bed-sharing to guide future innovations in health care practice and research.
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16
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Lerner RE, Camerota M, Tully KP, Propper C. Associations between mother-infant bed-sharing practices and infant affect and behavior during the still-face paradigm. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101464. [PMID: 32650137 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parents in the United States increasingly report bed-sharing with their infants (i.e., sleeping on a shared sleep surface), but the relationship between bed-sharing and child socioemotional outcomes are not well understood. The current study examines the links between mother-infant bed-sharing at 3 months and infant affect and behavior during a dyadic challenge task at 6 months. Further, we examine nighttime mother-infant contact at 3 months as a possible mechanism that may mediate linkages between bed-sharing and infant outcomes. Using observational data from a sample of 63 mother-infant dyads, we found that infants who bed-shared for any proportion of the observation period at 3 months displayed significantly more self-regulatory behaviors during the still-face episode of the Still-Face Paradigm (SFP) at 6 months, compared to non-bed-sharing infants. Also, infants of mothers who bed-shared for the entire observation period displayed significantly less negativity during the reunion episode than non-bed-sharing infants. There was no evidence that the relations between mother-infant bed-sharing practices and infant affect and behavior during the SFP were mediated through nighttime mother-infant contact. Results suggest that infant regulation at 6 months postpartum may vary based on early nighttime experiences, with bed-sharing potentially promoting more positive and well-regulated behavior during dyadic interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Lerner
- Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Marie Camerota
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Kristin P Tully
- Center for Maternal and Infant Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Cathi Propper
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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17
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Abstract
The human need for sleep is universal and unquestioned; however, humans vary in their sleep needs according to age, individual differences, as well as cultural and social norms and practices. Therefore, what is “normal” in infant sleep and the development of sleep architecture in humans is highly dependent on biological and sociocultural variables as well as socially constructed assumptions about what infant sleep “should” look like. This paper uses a multidisciplinary approach to review papers from fields including pediatrics, anthropology, psychology, medicine, and sociology to understand “normal” infant sleep. Because human culture and behavioral practice changes much more quickly than evolved human biology, and because human evolutionary history occurred in the context of breastfeeding and cosleeping, new work in the field of infant sleep architecture development would benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. To come to a consensus about what is “normal” infant sleep, researchers must agree on underlying basic assumptions of infant sleep from which to ask question and interpret findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine S. Barry
- Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Lemont Furnace, PA, USA
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18
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Barry ES. Co-sleeping as a proximal context for infant development: The importance of physical touch. Infant Behav Dev 2019; 57:101385. [DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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19
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20
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Baddock SA, Purnell MT, Blair PS, Pease AS, Elder DE, Galland BC. The influence of bed-sharing on infant physiology, breastfeeding and behaviour: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev 2018; 43:106-117. [PMID: 30553183 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This review aimed to better understand the underlying physiology of the risks and benefits of bed-sharing. Eight databases were searched using terms relating to adult-infant/baby, bed-sharing/co-sleeping combined with outcome terms for physiology, sleep, cardiovascular, respiratory, temperature and behaviour. Of 836 papers identified, 59 papers representing 48 cohorts met inclusion criteria. Objective data using various methodologies were available in 27 papers and subjective data in 32 papers. Diverse measures were reported using variable definitions of bed-sharing. Identified physiological and behavioural differences between bed-sharing and cot-sleeping included increased behavioural arousals, warmer in-bed temperatures and increased breastfeeding duration in bedshare infants as well as differences in infant overnight sleep architecture, cardiorespiratory control and cortisol responses to stress. We concluded that many differences are context-specific, and dependent on the subjective view of the parents and their cultural values. Objective risk arises if the infant is unable to mount an appropriate physiological or behavioural response to their micro-environment. More studies in the bed-sharing setting are needed to identify infant risk, the potential benefits of a safer environment, and how bed-sharing interacts with infant care practices other than sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter S Blair
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Anna S Pease
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Dawn E Elder
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Barbara C Galland
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
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21
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Beijers R, Cassidy J, Lustermans H, de Weerth C. Parent-Infant Room Sharing During the First Months of Life: Longitudinal Links With Behavior During Middle Childhood. Child Dev 2018; 90:1350-1367. [PMID: 30238442 PMCID: PMC7379577 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Current recommendations encourage parent–infant room sharing for the first 6 months of life. This longitudinal study (N = 193) is the first to examine long‐term relations of early room sharing with three domains of child behavior: sleep, behavior problems, and prosocial behavior. Information on room sharing was collected daily for infants’ first 6 months. At ages 6, 7, and 8 years, outcomes were assessed with maternal and teacher questionnaires and behavioral observations. Early room sharing was not related to sleep problems or behavior problems. Additionally, more weeks of room sharing were positively related to higher maternal ratings of child sleep quality and more prosocial behavior. In conclusion, early room sharing appears to be related to positive, but not negative, behavior outcomes in middle childhood.
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22
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Maute M, Perren S. IGNORING CHILDREN'S BEDTIME CRYING: THE POWER OF WESTERN-ORIENTED BELIEFS. Infant Ment Health J 2018; 39:220-230. [PMID: 29489022 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Ignoring children's bedtime crying (ICBC) is an issue that polarizes parents as well as pediatricians. While most studies have focused on the effectiveness of sleep interventions, no study has yet questioned which parents use ICBC. Parents often find children's sleep difficulties to be very challenging, but factors such as the influence of Western approaches to infant care, stress, and sensitivity have not been analyzed in terms of ICBC. A sample of 586 parents completed a questionnaire to investigate the relationships between parental factors and the method of ICBC. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Latent variables were used to measure parental stress (Parental Stress Scale; J.O. Berry & W.H. Jones, 1995), sensitivity (Situation-Reaction-Questionnaire; Y. Hänggi, K. Schweinberger, N. Gugger, & M. Perrez, 2010), Western-oriented parental beliefs (Rigidity), and children's temperament (Parenting Stress Index; H. Tröster & R.R. Abidin). ICBC was used by 32.6% (n = 191) of parents in this study. Parents' Western-oriented beliefs predicted ICBC. Attitudes such as feeding a child on a time schedule and not carrying it out to prevent dependence were associated with letting the child cry to fall asleep. Low-sensitivity parents as well as parents of children with a difficult temperament used ICBC more frequently. Path analysis shows that parental stress did not predict ICBC. The results suggest that ICBC has become part of Western childrearing tradition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonja Perren
- University of Konstanz and Thurgau University of Teacher Education
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23
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Volkovich E, Bar-Kalifa E, Meiri G, Tikotzky L. Mother–infant sleep patterns and parental functioning of room-sharing and solitary-sleeping families: a longitudinal study from 3 to 18 months. Sleep 2017; 41:4753805. [DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsx207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ella Volkovich
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Work Performed: Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Eran Bar-Kalifa
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Work Performed: Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Gal Meiri
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Work Performed: Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Liat Tikotzky
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
- Work Performed: Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
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24
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Parenting and sleep in early childhood. Curr Opin Psychol 2017; 15:118-124. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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