An Evidence-Based Infant Safe Sleep Program to Reduce Sudden Unexplained Infant Deaths

: Objective: The purpose of this project was to design, implement, and evaluate a safe sleep program for expectant mothers and the families of infants discharged from our hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It was prompted by the sleep-related deaths of two infants in the community, both of whom had been discharged from our NICU.

A six-member interdisciplinary team comprising nurses, a physician, an occupational therapist, and a respiratory therapist developed a safe sleep program in an effort to identify and implement evidence-based safe sleep practices for infants in the NICU. The team examined the literature on sleep-related death and safe sleep practices, consulted with colleagues in NICUs at nearby hospitals and clinics, and conducted an audit of practices related to putting infants to sleep in the NICU. The initiative included the use of infant sleep sacks, the development of a clinical practice guideline to promote safe sleep, and the delivery of standardized discharge education for caregivers in the NICU and safe sleep classes for expectant mothers and caregivers in the community. The team educated NICU staff on the new practice guideline in November and December 2014, and implemented the clinical intervention in January 2015.

Random unit audits showed that prior to implementation of the safe sleep program, NICU nurses had followed safe sleep practices only 20% of the time; after implementation, however, safe sleep practices were followed an average of about 90% of the time. In-hospital and community-oriented evidence-based teaching on safe sleep practices and environments was associated with no sleep-related infant deaths after discharge from our NICU in calendar year 2015.

A multifaceted safe sleep program offers many benefits to both the NICU and its patients. The implementation of a standardized safe sleep program provides an enormous opportunity to improve the health and well-being of the community. All hospitals that care for mothers and infants should adopt a safe sleep program.