Creating a Safe Sleep Environment for the Infant: What the Pediatric Nurse Needs to Know

Abstract

Despite the release of guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on safe infant sleep and public service campaigns aimed at reducing risk factors over the past 25 years, deaths due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID) are still the 4th leading causes of infant death in the United States. Findings from several studies demonstrate that nurses do not consistently model safe sleep practices with infants due to a lack of education on evidence-based practice and misconceptions regarding safe infant sleep. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the need for expanded education to both nurses and parents on the principles of safe infant sleep and the impact it can have on decreasing risk factors for SIDS and SUID. Strategies are outlined for additional education for nurses and parents to enhance adherence to safe sleep guidelines and quality improvement projects aimed at the implementation of culture change are discussed. Going forward it is critical that nurses take an active role in seeking additional education on modifiable risk factors linked to SIDS and SUID and use that education to model and teach safe infant sleep practices with every infant at every encounter.