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Interventions for influencing sleep patterns in exclusively breastfed infants
M J Renfrew1, S Lang, L Martin
1Mother and Infant Research Unit, University of Leeds, 22 Hyde Terrace, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK, LS2 9LN. m.j.renfrew@leeds.ac.uk
Background:
The difference between night and day may be reinforced in young babies by offering a 'focal feed' between 10pm and midnight and gradually lengthening the intervals between night-time feeds by a variety of other activities (such as nappy changing, re-swaddling and walking with the infant).
Objectives:
The objective of this review was to assess the effects of using a structured training programme to teach exclusively breastfed infants to sleep through the night by eight weeks old.
Search Strategy:
We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register.
Selection Criteria:
Acceptably controlled trials of a structured programme accentuating the difference between night and day compared with no intervention in first time parents of singleton babies, with mothers intending to exclusively breastfeed their infants for at least eight weeks post-partum.
Data Collection And Analysis:
Trial quality was assessed and data were extracted independently by two reviewers.
Main Results:
One trial involving 33 couples was included. More infants in the treatment group were sleeping throughout the night by eight weeks of age than in the control group (odds ratio 0.04, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.21).
Reviewer'S Conclusions:
There is some evidence to show that first time parents using a structured sleeping programme can teach their babies to sleep through the night by eight weeks of age.