2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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334946
Exploring infant sleep environments among mothers


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Deep Shah, MD MPH CPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Amy Raines-Milenkov, DrPH, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Nusrath Habiba, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Wendy Middlemiss, Ph.D., Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX
Brandy Roane, Ph.D., CBSM, Department of Internal Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
W. Paul Bowman, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
Background: Mothers receive infant care education prior to hospital discharge and from their pediatricians. However, this may be insufficient to adequately educate parents about the importance of a safe sleep environment. A safe sleep environment includes: always placing infant on the back to sleep, having a separate infant sleep place removing all objects from sleep space, and avoiding infant’s exposure to smoking.

Methods: Research personnel administered in-person surveys to mothers 18 years or older, with infants aged 2 weeks to 3, months during their UNTHSC-Pediatric Outpatient Clinic visits.

Results: Of 103 mothers, 46 (44.7%) mothers surveyed were Hispanic, 28 (27.2%) were White/Caucasian, and 18 (17.5%) were Black/African-American. Our survey showed that 73 (70.9%) infants started sleeping in a crib in mother’s room; however, 38 (36.9%) slept in mother’s bed at some point during the night and 26 (25.2%) infants usually awoke in mother’s bed. Twenty five mothers (24.3%) put their baby to sleep on a side or prone position. African-American mothers were 2.87 times more likely to put their baby to sleep on either side or prone position than non-African American mothers. Few of infants, 11 (10.7%) slept with a pillow or bumpers. Most of mothers, 86 (83.5%) reported that no one is allowed to smoke inside their home.

Conclusions: Understanding parents’ infant sleep environment practices can contribute to the creation of targeted patient education. Healthcare professionals should address with parents the risk of bed-sharing, prone and side sleep positions, inconsistent sleep environment and having objects in infant sleep space.

Learning Areas:

Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Compare reported infant sleep environments with the "Safe to Sleep Public Education Campaign." Discuss how infant sleep locations change throughout the night. Identify opportunities for improved safe sleep communication between pediatricians and their patients.

Keyword(s): Child Health, Infant Mortality

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I coordinate and oversee research studies in Department of Pediatrics including, in Pediatric Outpatient Clinical Settings. I have experience in survey development, statistical analysis and creating reports focused on infant health, obesity, asthma and other child health topics.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4387.0: SIDS/Infant Mortality Poster Session