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American Academy of Pediatrics
Article

Back to Sleep: Good Advice for Parents but Not for Hospitals?

Herman A. Hein and Stephanie F. Pettit
Pediatrics March 2001, 107 (3) 537-539; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.107.3.537
Herman A. Hein
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Stephanie F. Pettit
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Abstract

Background. In October 1998, when we surveyed nurses working in Iowa obstetric units about infant sleeping position in the hospital and recommendations for infant sleeping position at home, we learned that the side position was used frequently in the hospital and also was considered to be an acceptable alternative for sleeping position at home.

Objective. The purpose of our present study was to determine why nurses continued to use and endorse the side sleeping position rather than the supine position.

Design. We surveyed all Iowa hospitals that had an obstetric service as of July 1999 to learn why the side position was used.

Results. All 94 hospitals with obstetric services responded to the survey and revealed that 2 major factors were considered when an infant was put to sleep on his/her side. The most frequent response was fear of aspiration (57 responses or 51.4%) and the second was adherence to a federal brochure that lists side sleeping as a reasonable alternative (38 responses or 34.2%).

Conclusion. We conclude that the reasons reported for use of the side position in Iowa maternity hospitals do not justify its continuing use. We believe that information about the importance of placing an infant on his/her back to sleep and its superiority over placing an infant on his/her side to sleep is sufficient to warrant its availability in every maternity hospital. We speculate that if the infant sleeping position used in the hospital is not different from that taught to parents, there will be less parental confusion and greater adherence to infant positioning shown to reduce sudden infant death syndrome.

  • SIDS
  • back sleeping
  • side sleeping
  • infant sleeping position in hospital
  • Received April 4, 2000.
  • Accepted June 30, 2000.
  • Copyright © 2001 American Academy of Pediatrics

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Pediatrics
Vol. 107, Issue 3
1 Mar 2001
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Back to Sleep: Good Advice for Parents but Not for Hospitals?
Herman A. Hein, Stephanie F. Pettit
Pediatrics Mar 2001, 107 (3) 537-539; DOI: 10.1542/peds.107.3.537

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Back to Sleep: Good Advice for Parents but Not for Hospitals?
Herman A. Hein, Stephanie F. Pettit
Pediatrics Mar 2001, 107 (3) 537-539; DOI: 10.1542/peds.107.3.537
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  • Effectiveness of the 'Back-to-Sleep campaigns among healthcare professionals in the past 20 years: a systematic review
  • Placing preterm infants for sleep: first prone, then supine
  • Sudden infant death syndrome and sleeping position in pre-term and low birth weight infants: an opportunity for targeted intervention
  • Back to Sleep: Can We Influence Child Care Providers?
  • The Contribution of Prone Sleeping Position to the Racial Disparity in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: The Chicago Infant Mortality Study
  • Back to Sleep: Good Advice for Parents but Not for Hospitals?
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