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Sleep patterns, problems, and ecology in young children born preterm and full-term and their mothers

Francesca Lupini1, Erin S Leichman1, Christina Lee2

  • 1Saint Joseph's University, United States.

Sleep Medicine
|April 11, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants and toddlers show similar sleep patterns and problems to full-term peers. However, preterm infants may require more parental assistance to initiate and resume sleep, though maternal sleep remains comparable.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Previous research on infant sleep differences between preterm and full-term infants yielded inconsistent findings.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the sleep ecology of preterm infants compared to full-term infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare sleep patterns, sleep problems, and sleep ecology in preterm versus full-term infants and toddlers.
  • To examine these sleep characteristics across developmental stages from birth to 36 months.
  • To assess maternal sleep in relation to infant prematurity.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 834 infants (half preterm, half full-term) and their mothers in Brazil participated.
  • Infants were matched for sex and chronological age.
  • Mothers completed the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Main Results:

  • Most sleep parameters (onset latency, night awakenings, duration) and sleep ecology (independent sleep initiation, location) were similar between preterm and full-term infants.
  • Preterm infants were more likely to be held or given a bottle to resume sleep, and less likely to be breastfed for sleep resumption.
  • Mothers of preterm infants reported more perceived sleep problems, but confidence and bedtime difficulties were similar; maternal sleep was also comparable.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep patterns, problems, and ecology in preterm infants and toddlers are largely similar to their full-term counterparts.
  • These similarities extend to maternal sleep parameters.
  • The findings suggest minimal differences in sleep dynamics between preterm and full-term infants and their mothers, even early in development.
Abstract

Keywords:
InfantsMaternal sleepPretermSleep

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