Gather together in the name of our next generation: A scoping review of the essence and implementation of community baby showers

Abstract

Introduction: Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) collectively represent one of the leading causes of infant mortality worldwide. There are a range of evidence-based modifiable risk factors for both, particularly related to the infant’s sleep environment. Oftentimes, social determinants of health impact optimization of an infant’s sleep environment, thereby compromising their safety and elevating their risk for SIDS and SUID. Many kinds of community interventions that include campaigns and programs have sought to address these environmental modifiable risk factors that contribute towards heightened risk for SIDS and SUID. However given resource limitations, reach and access considerations, and scarcity of a streamlined harmonized process to draw on the strengths of a community in SUID and SIDS reduction, there is mixed success with these interventions. Methods: Although community baby showers are rising as a trending health promotion intervention to optimize access to care, resources and support to infants and their caregivers as well as optimize infant growth and development, there is no review paper to date that consolidates the strengths and limitations in the quality, delivery and evaluation of community baby showers as a continued focus for future public health interventions surrounding the infant population which informs the development of this scoping review. Results: Specifically, this review synthesizes the commonalities, differences, key findings, intervention components as well as gaps in research and practice on community baby showers across published studies (n=20) and secondary sources (n=4). Conclusion: Clinical and public health implications are also closely examined and further inform recommendations for future directions that draw on the strengths and build off the limitations of findings from this review to heighten the clinical and public health impact and further assess the efficacy of community baby showers as an evidence-based community engagement and health promotion intervention for our next generation of infants and their families.