HIGHER RECTAL TEMPERATURES IN CO-SLEEPING INFANTS

The effect on deep body temperature of infants co-sleeping (with eithe r or both parents) is investigated in this case control study. Overnig ht continuous recordings of rectal temperature were made from 34 babie s co-sleeping with one or both parents throughout the night and 34 inf ants matched for age, feeding regimen, parental smoking, thermal envir onment, sleeping position, and sex who slept alone. The co-sleeping in fants had significantly higher rectal temperatures hom two hours after bedtime, when the initial fall in sleeping body temperature was compl ete. The mean rectal temperature of co-sleeping infants between two an d eight hours was 0.1 degrees C higher than that of infants sleeping a lone (p < 0.04). Given the very small variance in rectal temperature t his probably reflects a considerable physiological difference between the two groups.