Back to sleep: can we influence child care providers?

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Child Care Education

Background:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) accounts for a significant number of infant deaths in childcare settings.
• Many childcare providers lack awareness or possess misinformation regarding SIDS risk reduction and infant sleep positioning.
• Safe sleep environments are crucial for infant well-being, especially in group care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program for childcare providers on SIDS and safe sleep environments.
• To assess the program's impact on provider knowledge, behavioral changes, and policy development.
• To determine the sustainability of learned practices and policies over time.

Main Methods:

• A 60-minute in-service educational program was delivered by a trained health educator.
• Childcare providers completed pre- and post-in-service surveys assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices.
• Follow-up interviews were conducted with childcare centers six months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Exclusive supine sleep position usage increased from 44.8% to 78.1% post-intervention, sustained by 85% of centers at 6 months.
• Awareness of the American Academy of Pediatrics' supine sleep recommendation rose from 47.9% to 78.1%, maintained by 67.7% of centers at 6 months.
• The percentage of centers with written sleep position policies increased from 18.8% to 44.4%.

Conclusions:

• A focused educational in-service effectively enhances childcare provider awareness and knowledge of SIDS risk reduction.
• The intervention successfully changed provider behavior towards safer infant sleep practices.
• The educational program promoted the development and sustained adoption of written sleep position policies in childcare settings.