Introduction The most common cause of death in infants up to a year old is sudden infant death syndrome (Meadows-Oliver & Hendrie, 2013). Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected death of an infant from one month to twelve months of age that cannot be explained even after a thorough investigation (Schnitzer, Covington & Dykstra, 2012). Although the death cannot always be explained, most SIDS cases are believed to be a result of accidental suffocation. Common causes include inappropriate sleep position, bed sharing, and having extra blankets or soft bedding in the bassinet (Schnitzer et al., 2012). In 2001, it was reported that there were “56 deaths per 100,000 live births” that were classified as SIDS (American Academy of Pediatrics
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They found that 39.1% of black women frequently placed their infant on their back to sleep and 66.9% of black women reported bed sharing often. This was compared to 65.2% of white women who frequently placed their infants in supine position to sleep and 37.5% who reported sharing a bed. Factors that increase the risk of these behaviors include maternal age less than 25 or greater than 34 years old, unmarried women and women who were born in a foreign country (Broussard et al., 2012). This study shows how common it is for families to ignore the teaching they receive and not follow the proper sleep …show more content…
Teaching should not only take place postpartum. It is recommended that teaching should start early during the prenatal period because it will supplement what is heard in the hospital and prepare the family for what is to come. Teaching should also be continued outside of the hospital which reinforces safe sleep practices (Shaefer, Herman, Frank, Adkins & Terhaar, 2010). Education should be performed for the whole family and not just the new mother because people often do not follow the safe sleep guidelines based on what a family member has done in the past (Duzinski et al., 2013). Nurses should provide information on the risks and benefits of all safe sleep guidelines so informed choices can be made by the family of the infant (Lahr et al.,
They found that 39.1% of black women frequently placed their infant on their back to sleep and 66.9% of black women reported bed sharing often. This was compared to 65.2% of white women who frequently placed their infants in supine position to sleep and 37.5% who reported sharing a bed. Factors that increase the risk of these behaviors include maternal age less than 25 or greater than 34 years old, unmarried women and women who were born in a foreign country (Broussard et al., 2012). This study shows how common it is for families to ignore the teaching they receive and not follow the proper sleep …show more content…
Teaching should not only take place postpartum. It is recommended that teaching should start early during the prenatal period because it will supplement what is heard in the hospital and prepare the family for what is to come. Teaching should also be continued outside of the hospital which reinforces safe sleep practices (Shaefer, Herman, Frank, Adkins & Terhaar, 2010). Education should be performed for the whole family and not just the new mother because people often do not follow the safe sleep guidelines based on what a family member has done in the past (Duzinski et al., 2013). Nurses should provide information on the risks and benefits of all safe sleep guidelines so informed choices can be made by the family of the infant (Lahr et al.,