Changes in parental risk behaviour after an information campaign against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Norway.
OBJECTIVE
To assess parental risk behaviour before and after a sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) information campaign with special emphasis on associations with maternal age, education, marital status and birth order.


METHODS
Data from questionnaires sent to all mothers who gave birth in Norway during a period before the campaign were compared with corresponding data obtained after the campaign.


RESULTS
Prevalence of non-supine sleeping position decreased from 33.7% to 13.6% while changes in smoking, non-breastfeeding and co-sleeping were disappointing. Risk factors were particularly prevalent in young mothers, but also in mothers with a minimum period of education, non-cohabitation and at birth order 2+.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-supine sleeping decreased to a level that has never been reported before. In future campaigns, subgroup-specific measures may be needed.
Hill
S A R
SA
University of Bergen, Norway.
Hjelmeland
B
B
Johannessen
N M
NM
Irgens
Lorentz M
LM
Skjaerven
R
R
D004522:Educational Status; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017533:Marital Status; D008423:Maternal Age; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D011187:Posture; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors