A Qualitative Evaluation of Infant Safe Sleep Following Free Crib Provision

Unsafe sleep practices are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Authors of this qualitative study examined parental perceptions and reported practices related to infant safe sleep among families who received a free portable crib after their infant's birth. Specifically, authors explored whether families used the portable crib to provide a safe sleep environment for their infants.

Parents of infants aged 2 to 11 months who received a free portable crib were invited to participate in a structured 11-question interview assessing safe sleep perceptions and practices, including crib use. Eleven families participated in the study.

Six themes emerged from the interviews: (1) parents recalled receiving safe sleep counseling, often in considerable detail; (2) many parents initially planned to bed-share before receiving the crib; (3) reported sleep practices frequently differed from established safe sleep recommendations; (4) parents described multiple reasons for not consistently following recommendations; (5) participants supported the continued provision of free cribs and safe sleep counseling; and (6) parents generally found the crib helpful, although it often was used alongside other sleep arrangements.

Although parents recalled receiving safe sleep counseling, reported sleep practices frequently did not align with recommended guidelines. Further research is needed to better understand this gap and to identify strategies that improve adherence to safe sleep recommendations.