title: Grandmothers' Beliefs and Practices in Infant Safe Sleep.
abstract: Background Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation are leading causes of infant mortality. Supine sleep position and use of appropriate sleep surfaces reduce SIDS risk but are not universally practiced. Mothers' decisions about sleep position and environment may be influenced by guidance provided by infants' grandmothers and other caregivers. Methods A survey was conducted of a convenience sample of grandmothers aged 30-70 years who provide care at least weekly for an infant grandchild <6 months old. The survey was distributed through community partners of a university-based research team. Respondents received home safety items as compensation. Analyses focused on the relationship of grandmother demographic characteristics and beliefs on their reported practices related to infant sleep. Results Among the 239 grandmothers, 45 % reported placing infants to sleep supine on an appropriate sleep surface at the grandmother's house, while 58 % reported doing so when the infant was sleeping in the mother's house. After adjusting for other factors, respondents were less likely to adhere to recommended guidelines when they believed supine position increased choking risk (OR 0.34, 95 % CI 0.18-0.62) or believed infants are more comfortable or sleep longer when on their stomachs (OR 0.51, 95 % CI 0.28-0.93). Discussion Grandmothers do not universally observe evidence-based safe sleep practices, particularly if the infant is not sleeping in the home of the parent. Interventions for senior caregivers focused on perceived choking risk, infant comfort in the supine position, and other recent changes in recommended safety practices are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA. aitkenmarye@uams.edu.|Injury Prevention Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA. aitkenmarye@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8318-9755
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.|Injury Prevention Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: S Hope
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.|Injury Prevention Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Beverly K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.|Biostatistics Program, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nick
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.|Biostatistics Program, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Mallikarjuna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rettiganti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.|Injury Prevention Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nabaweesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Whiteside-Mansell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001131:Arkansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D000066502:Grandparents; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D016684:Prone Position; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012890:Sleep; D013398:Sudden Infant Death / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016683:Supine Position
keywords: Grandmothers; Infant; Infant mortality; SIDS; SUID; Sleep