RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Bed-sharing and the infant’s thermal environment in the home setting JF Archives of Disease in Childhood JO Arch Dis Child FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health SP 1111 OP 1116 DO 10.1136/adc.2003.048082 VO 89 IS 12 A1 S A Baddock A1 B C Galland A1 M G S Beckers A1 B J Taylor A1 D P G Bolton YR 2004 UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/89/12/1111.abstract AB Aims: To study bed-sharing and cot-sleeping infants in the natural setting of their own home in order to identify differences in the thermal characteristics of the two sleep situations and their potential hazards. Methods: Forty routine bed-sharing infants and 40 routine cot-sleeping infants aged 5–27 weeks were individually matched between groups for age and season. Overnight video and physiological data of bed-share infants and cot-sleeping infants were recorded in the infants’ own homes including rectal, shin, and ambient temperature. Results: The mean rectal temperature two hours after sleep onset for bed-share infants was 36.79°C and for cot-sleeping infants, 36.75°C (difference 0.05°C, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.14). The rate of change thereafter was higher in the bed-share group than in the cot group (0.04°C v 0.03°C/h, difference 0.01, 0.00 to 0.02). Bed-share infants had a higher shin temperature at two hours (35.43 v 34.60°C, difference 0.83, 0.18 to 1.49) and a higher rate of change (0.04 v −0.10°C/h, difference 0.13, 0.08 to 0.19). Bed-sharing infants had more bedding. Face covering events were more common and bed-share infants woke and fed more frequently than cot infants (mean wake times/night: 4.6 v 2.5). Conclusions: Bed-share infants experience warmer thermal conditions than those of cot-sleeping infants, but are able to maintain adequate thermoregulation to maintain a normal core temperature.