Infant care practices related to sudden unexpected death in infancy: a 2013 survey

This survey aimed to evaluate mothers' knowledge of, and practices related to, risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and to compare results with a similar survey conducted in 2005.

400 randomly selected women with infants between the ages of 6 weeks and 4 months were sent a postal questionnaire asking about their knowledge and infant care practices related to SUDI risk factors. Included were questions on sleep position, bed sharing, room sharing, smoking, and breastfeeding. Results were compared with a similar survey conducted in 2005.

There were 172 (43%) responses. Compared with 2005, more women in this survey cited avoiding bed sharing, keeping the face clear, avoiding soft bedding, and room sharing as SUDI prevention factors. Compared with 2005, more mothers usually used the supine sleep position and shared the parental bedroom, while fewer mothers reported smoking. Eight percent said the infant usually shared a bed, down from 15% in 2005. Of the five main protective factors promoted by New Zealand's Ministry of Health (supine sleep, own bed, room sharing, smoke free, breastfeeding), 43% were implementing all of these practices.

There has been an increased knowledge of SUDI risk factors. Also evident are an increase in supine positioning and room sharing and a decrease in smoking and bed sharing. These results suggest possible reasons for the falling rate of SUDI in New Zealand.