Maternal bedsharing practices, experiences, and awareness of risks.
Christine A Ateah1, Kathy J Hamelin
1Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. christine_ateah@unimanitoba.ca
Summary
Despite knowing the risks, most mothers bedshare with their infants. Some mothers reported accidentally rolling onto their infants, highlighting the need for safe infant sleep education.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Pediatric Sleep Safety
- Public Health Research
Background:
- Infant sleep practices, including bedsharing, are common but associated with risks.
- Maternal awareness of bedsharing risks varies.
- Promoting safe infant sleep environments is a public health priority.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess maternal practices and experiences with infant bedsharing.
- To evaluate mothers' knowledge regarding the risks of bedsharing.
- To inform recommendations for safe infant sleep environments.
Main Methods:
- A self-report questionnaire was administered to 1,122 mothers of 3-month-old infants in Manitoba, Canada.
- Data collection focused on maternal-infant bedsharing habits and awareness of associated dangers.
- A 26% response rate was achieved with 293 completed questionnaires.
Main Results:
- 72% of mothers reported regular or occasional bedsharing, despite 89% acknowledging associated risks.
- Mothers who breastfed were twice as likely to bedshare.
- 13% of mothers who bedshared reported incidents of rolling onto their infant.
Conclusions:
- A significant majority of mothers bedshare despite awareness of risks.
- Reported incidents of rolling onto infants underscore the dangers of bedsharing.
- Healthcare professionals should emphasize safe sleep recommendations, including separate sleep surfaces for infants.
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