Abstract
Objective
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is unexpected and unexplained sudden death of infants under one year of age. Sleep-related infant deaths can be reduced with the safe sleep environment recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Our questionnaire, which was prepared in line with the AAP recommendations updated in 2022, aimed to evaluate the knowledge level of mothers in two provinces with different socioeconomic status in Türkiye about SIDS.
Methods
This survey was conducted in Ankara and Muş provinces among mothers whose infants were hospitalized in the ward and who volunteered to participate in the survey. The respondents were asked 22 multiple-choice questions in line with recommendations of the AAP puslished in 2022.
Results
A total of 652 mothers participated in our study. The median (minimum-maximum) age of the participants was 28 (16-47) years. While 7.2% of mothers were uneducated, 32.7% were primary school graduates, 29.3% were high school graduates, and 29.3% were university graduates. Answers to the questions about bed firmness, pillow use, bed sharing, use of bedspreads and SIDS education were found to be significantly different between the groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion
In our survey study, knowledge level of mothers about SIDS was found to be inadequate. In light of the updated recommendations, it was thought that sleep-related risk factors that cause SIDS may be reduced by providing trainings to families.
Keywords: Sudden infant death syndrome, questionnaire, risk factors, knowledge, education
References
Perrone S, Lembo C, Moretti S, et al. Sudden infant death syndrome: beyond risk factors. Life (Basel). 2021;11:184.
Maged M, Rizzolo D. Preventing sudden infant death syndrome and other sleep-related infant deaths. JAAPA. 2018;31:25-30.
Shapiro-Mendoza CK, Palusci VJ, Hoffman B, et al. Half century since SIDS: a reappraisal of terminology. Pediatrics. 2021;148:e2021053746.
Krieger N, Williams DR, Moss NE. Measuring social class in US public health research: concepts, methodologies, and guidelines. Annu Rev Public Health. 1997;18:341-78.
Shipstone RA, Young J, Kearney L, Thompson JMD. Applying a social exclusion framework to explore the relationship between sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) and social vulnerability. Front Public Health. 2020;8:563573.
Spencer N, Logan S. Sudden unexpected death in infancy and socioeconomic status: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004;58:366-73.
Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; TASK FORCE ON SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME AND THE COMMITTEE ON FETUS AND NEWBORN. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150:e2022057990.
Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome; Moon RY. SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths: expansion of recommendations for a safe infant sleeping environment. Pediatrics. 2011;128:1030-9.
Kanetake J, Aoki Y, Funayama M. Evaluation of rebreathing potential on bedding for infant use. Pediatr Int. 2003;45:284-9.
Patel AL, Harris K, Thach BT. Inspired CO(2) and O(2) in sleeping infants rebreathing from bedding: relevance for sudden infant death syndrome. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2001;91:2537-45.
Jeffery HE, Megevand A, Page Hd. Why the prone position is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome. Pediatrics. 1999;104:263-9.
Yiallourou SR, Walker AM, Horne RS. Prone sleeping impairs circulatory control during sleep in healthy term infants: implications for SIDS. Sleep. 2008;31:1139-46.
Wong FY, Witcombe NB, Yiallourou SR, et al. Cerebral oxygenation is depressed during sleep in healthy term infants when they sleep prone. Pediatrics. 2011;127:e558-65.
Carpenter RG, Irgens LM, Blair PS, et al. Sudden unexplained infant death in 20 regions in Europe: case control study. Lancet. 2004;363:185-91.
Tuffnell CS, Petersen SA, Wailoo MP. Prone sleeping infants have a reduced ability to lose heat. Early Hum Dev. 1995;43:109-16.
Ammari A, Schulze KF, Ohira-Kist K, et al. Effects of body position on thermal, cardiorespiratory and metabolic activity in low birth weight infants. Early Hum Dev. 2009;85:497-501.
Barbir I, Ball HL, Zakarija-Grković I. Parental knowledge of safe infant sleep and sudden infant death syndrome is inadequate in Croatia. Acta Paediatr. 2020;109:1887-8.
Ahn YM, Cho JA. Survey of Korean daycare personnel on safe sleep practices related to sudden unexplained infant death: a cross-sectional exploratory study. Child Health Nurs Res. 2022;28:299-309.
Konstat-Korzenny E, Cohen-Welch A, Fonseca-Portilla R, Morgenstern-Kaplan D. Sudden unexpected infant death: review and analysis of adherence to recommendations. Cureus. 2019;11:e6076.
Kanits F, L’Hoir MP, Boere-Boonekamp MM, Engelberts AC, Feskens EJM. Renewed attention needed for prevention of sudden unexpected death in infancy in the netherlands. Front Pediatr. 2021;9:757530.
Fernandes SC, de Luca F, Fonseca SMBVP, Oliveira FSDFLC, Areias MHFGP. Sudden infant death syndrome: what healthcare professionals and parents know about how to prevent it in Portugal. Yale J Biol Med. 2020;93:475-85.
Li DK, Petitti DB, Willinger M, et al. Infant sleeping position and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in California, 1997-2000.
Waters KA, Gonzalez A, Jean C, Morielli A, Brouillette RT. Face-straight-down and face-near-straight-down positions in healthy, prone-sleeping infants. J Pediatr. 1996;128:616-25.
Horne RS, Parslow PM, Ferens D, Watts AM, Adamson TM. Comparison of evoked arousability in breast and formula fed infants. Arch Dis Child. 2004;89:22-5.
Duijts L, Jaddoe VW, Hofman A, Moll HA. Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of infectious diseases in infancy. Pediatrics. 2010;126:e18-25.
Jullien S. Sudden infant death syndrome prevention. BMC Pediatr. 2021;21:320.
Horne RSC. Sudden infant death syndrome: current perspectives. Intern Med J. 2019;49:433-8.
Pease AS, Blair PS, Ingram J, Fleming PJ. Mothers’ knowledge and attitudes to sudden infant death syndrome risk reduction messages: results from a UK survey. Arch Dis Child. 2018;103:33-8.
