Mothers' Decision Making Concerning Safe Sleep for Preterm Infants: What Are the Influencing Factors?

This study used a mixed-methods design. Recruitment was through social media messaging by 2 parent support organizations. An online survey was used to assess factors influencing mothers' decisions regarding sleep practices for preterm infants.FINDINGS/RESULTS: Survey participants (n = 98) were from across the United States. Mothers of preterm infants (mean gestational age at birth = 29.42 weeks) most often reported positioning infants on their back to sleep (92.3%) and a low (15.4%) use of a pacifier at sleep time. Three themes emerged for the decisions made: adherence to SSR; nonadherence to SSR; and infant-guided decisions. Regardless of the decision, mothers indicated that anxiety over the infant's well-being resulted in a need for sleep practices that facilitated close monitoring of the infant.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: The findings of this study indicate the need for understanding the underlying anxiety preventing mothers from adhering to SSR despite knowing them, along with tailoring infant sleep messaging and education to improve safety of sleep practices for preterm infants. Research is needed to examine decision making in more diverse populations.PMID:34967776 | DOI:10.1097/ANC.0000000000000952
Source: Advances in Neonatal Care - Category: Nursing Authors: Source Type: research