SIDS risk factor awareness: assessment among nursing students

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) remains a concern for infant mortality.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends specific safe sleep practices, including back or side positioning.
• Educating healthcare professionals, such as nursing students, is crucial for disseminating this information to parents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate nursing students' baseline knowledge of SIDS risk factors and safe sleep recommendations.
• To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention on knowledge retention and application.
• To determine students' willingness to educate parents on SIDS prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A pretest-posttest design was employed with 4th-year nursing students.
• Participants completed questionnaires assessing knowledge of SIDS risk factors and infant sleep position.
• An educational lecture and written materials on SIDS were provided between assessments, with a 6-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• Initial knowledge of SIDS risk factors was limited, with only 0% identifying all 13 factors pre-intervention.
• Post-intervention, awareness of the AAP safe sleep recommendation increased significantly from 69% to 92%.
• Knowledge of SIDS risk factors improved substantially, with 41% identifying all 13 factors post-intervention; students unanimously recommended safe sleep positions.

Conclusions:

• Nursing students demonstrated a need for enhanced education regarding SIDS risk factors.
• A targeted educational program significantly improved knowledge retention of SIDS risk factors and safe sleep guidelines.
• Educated nursing students are prepared and willing to effectively teach parents crucial safe sleep practices to reduce SIDS risk.