Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug;41(8):1992-1999.
doi: 10.1038/s41372-020-00896-5. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Understanding the barriers and facilitators to safe infant sleep for mothers of preterm infants

Sunah S Hwang  1 , Margaret G Parker  2   3 , Bryanne N Colvin  4 , Emma S Forbes  3 , Kyria Brown  5 , Eve R Colson  4
Affiliations

Understanding the barriers and facilitators to safe infant sleep for mothers of preterm infants

Sunah S Hwang et al. J Perinatol. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To identify barriers and facilitators to adherence to safe sleep practices (SSP) among mothers of preterm infants using qualitative methodology.

Design: We conducted 23 in-depth interviews in English or Spanish with mothers of preterm infants who were recently discharged from four hospitals, utilizing a grounded-theory approach and framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (attitudes, perceived control, social norms).

Results: For attitudes, mothers' fear about their infants' vulnerable preterm state related to suffocation, apnea of prematurity, and reflux influenced infant sleep practices. For social norms, education received in the NICU and advice from other health care providers, family, friends, and media impacted their choices. For perceived control, mothers adapted infant sleep practices to meet their own needs and address the perceived safety and comfort of infants.

Conclusion: Factors identified that influence maternal decision-making about infant sleep practices can inform interventions to address sudden unexpected infant death reduction in preterm infants.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None of the authors have any relevant conflict of interest to report.

References

    1. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Driscoll AK. Births: Final Data for 2018. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2019;68(13):1–47. - PubMed
    1. Malloy MH. Prematurity and sudden infant death syndrome: United States 2005–2007. J Perinatol. 2013;33(6):470–475. - PubMed
    1. Prevention CfDCa. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. https://www.cdc.gov/sids/about/index.htm. Accessed June 1, 2020.
    1. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu J, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final Data for 2014. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2016;65(4):1–122. - PubMed
    1. Moon RY, Task Force On Sudden Infant Death S. SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Evidence Base for 2016 Updated Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5). - PubMed

Publication types