Biomaterial Database

Position for newborn sleep: associations with parents' perceptions of their nursery experience. 2001

E R Colson, and D M Bergman, and E Shapiro, and J H Leventhal

Yale University School of Medicine, Well Newborn Nursery, Yale-New Haven Hospital, West Pavilion 1180A, 20 York Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06504, USA.

BACKGROUND In the United States, sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death among infants between the ages of 1 and 12 months. Although its etiology is unclear, infants who sleep in the prone or side positions are at increased risk. The objective of this study was to examine the association between the perceptions of inner city parents about teaching and modeling during the postpartum period of infant sleeping position, and their choice of sleeping position for their infants. METHODS A convenience sample of parents of 100 healthy infants who came for the 2-week well-child visit at an urban primary care center were invited to complete a questionnaire and to report on the position in which infants were placed for sleep. RESULTS Forty-two percent of parents reported that they usually placed their infants in the supine position for sleep; 26 percent placed their infants to sleep in the prone position at least some of the time. Parents who reported being told by a doctor or a nurse to have their infants sleep in the supine position were more likely to choose that position. Similarly, those who reported seeing their infants placed to sleep exclusively in the supine position in the hospital were also more likely usually to choose that position. Parents who reported that they both were told by a doctor or a nurse to put their infants to sleep in the supine position and reported seeing their infants exclusively placed that way in the nursery were the most likely usually to choose that position for their infants to sleep. CONCLUSIONS Perceptions by parents of instructions from a doctor or a nurse of the position in which the infants were placed in the nursery were associated with the position parents reported placing their infants to sleep at home. Efforts to promote the supine sleeping position in the inner-city setting should address both practices and education provided to parents in the nursery during the postpartum hospital stay and should be sufficiently powerful to align their perceptions of the postpartum experience with current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D009723	Nurse-Patient Relations	Interaction between the patient and nurse.	Nurse Patient Relations,Nurse Patient Relationship,Nurse Patient Relationships,Nurse-Patient Relation,Patient Relations, Nurse,Patient Relationship, Nurse,Patient Relationships, Nurse,Relations, Nurse Patient,Relations, Nurse-Patient,Relationship, Nurse Patient,Relationships, Nurse Patient
D009725	Nurseries, Hospital	Hospital facilities which provide care for newborn infants.	Hospital Nurseries,Hospital Nursery,Nursery, Hospital
D010290	Parents	Persons functioning as natural, adoptive, or substitute parents. The heading includes the concept of parenthood as well as preparation for becoming a parent.	Step-Parents,Parental Age,Parenthood Status,Stepparent,Age, Parental,Ages, Parental,Parent,Parental Ages,Status, Parenthood,Step Parents,Step-Parent,Stepparents
D010353	Patient Education as Topic	The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.	Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011320	Primary Health Care	Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)	Primary Care,Primary Healthcare,Care, Primary,Care, Primary Health,Health Care, Primary,Healthcare, Primary
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003237	Connecticut	State bounded on the north by Massachusetts, on the east by Rhode Island, on the south by Long Island Sound, and on the west by New York.