Improving uptake of safe infant sleeping recommendations: Teaching tools for parents and health professionals

Abstract

Introduction Barriers to safe sleeping (SS) recommendation uptake by health professionals and parents include perceptions that babies placed supine to sleep have an increased aspiration risk and are more difficult to settle. Aim To develop, implement and evaluate teaching methods that support and promote supine infant sleep positions used by health professionals and parents. Method A pre-test/post-test intervention design evaluated knowledge and practices relating to SS recommendations in a sample of nurses and midwives caring for families with infants (n=393): a) pre-test survey and audit (observational and chart); b) educational intervention including safety of supine positioning; c) post-test survey and audit. Results Comparison of paired responses (n=102 paired) for nurses/midwives who completed both pre and post-tests demonstrated that the intervention significantly improved documentation and practice (p=0.04); and achieved positive changes in knowledge of risk factors (p<0.05), parent advice relating to recommended infant sleep position (p=0.005) particularly for infants with reflux (p=0.003), and safe wrapping as a strategy to support supine sleep (p=0.02). Education including bed-side teaching tools comprising a lariat card, poster, cot card and an on-line resource developed to facilitate health professional and parent understanding of the importance of supine sleep are included in the resource suite. SS audit indicators have been included in state-wide maternity clinical pathways for on-going monitoring. Conclusion Innovative teaching tools that significantly and positively impact health professional knowledge and practice relating to SS recommendations will directly impact the support parents receive to use infant care practices that reduce risk of sudden unexpected infant death.