ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5881-0311
Current Organisation
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service
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Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1136/BMJPO-2020-000972
Abstract: To investigate primary infant caregiver awareness of the current national public health safe sleep messages and the associations of awareness with care practices. A cross-sectional survey in Queensland, Australia. All families with live babies birthed during April–May 2017 were eligible. Questionnaires were distributed when infants were approximately 3 months old. Of the 10 200 eligible families, 3341 (33%) primary caregivers participated. Participants were asked: to recall key safe sleeping messages they were aware of (unprompted) questions about their infant care practices and to select the current, national six safe sleeping messages (prompted multi-choice). Overall, the majority of families are aware of sleep-related infant mortality and sudden infant death (3178/3317, 96%) however, approximately one in four caregivers (867/3292, 26%) could not identify the current six messages to promote safer infant sleep in a multi-choice question. Despite being aware of the six key messages, some caregiver practices did not always align with advice (336/2423, 14% were not smoke-free 349/2423, 14% were not usually supine for sleep 649/2339, 28% employed practices which may increase risk of head or face covering 426/2423, 18% were not receiving breastmilk). There is considerable scope for improvement in parent awareness and ability to recall key safe sleep messages. Awareness of advice does not always translate into safe infant care. Health promotion messaging to encourage safer infant sleep, ultimately aimed at reducing sudden unexpected infant deaths, needs more effective supportive strategies and dissemination if future c aigns are to be successful.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/APA.16040
Abstract: To understand which safe sleep recommendations parents find most challenging to implement, identifying common barriers encountered and investigate whether challenges are associated with practices employed. A cross‐sectional survey of 3341 Australian families with young infants who birthed a live baby during April–May 2017. Caregivers were asked about infant care practices and family characteristics. Qualitative free‐text items explored challenges faced with current safe sleep recommendations. Nearly one‐third (n = 1033, 31%) of caregivers reported difficulty with at least one safe sleep recommendation. Infant sleep position and avoiding bed‐sharing were identified as the most challenging recommendations. Caregivers described barriers which influenced consistency in uptake of advice. Families who described difficulty with a recommendation were significantly less likely to consistently employ that advice compared to those who did not report difficulty (sleep position: 198/473,42% vs 2548/2837,90% [p 0.0001] own sleep space: (269/344,78% vs 1331/2884,46% [p 0.0001]). When families encountered challenges, they often proposed alternate strategies with an inference their substitute action compensated potential increased risk. Many families encounter difficulties implementing safe sleep advice these challenges negatively impact care practices. Effective interventions meeting in idual family needs, to provide safe sleep environments consistently, are necessary to improve sleep‐related infant care and further reduce infant mortality.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.15178
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2023
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-06-2022
Abstract: Modifiable infant sleep and care practices are recognised as the most important factors parents and health practitioners can influence to reduce the risk of sleep-related infant mortality. Understanding caregiver awareness of, and perceptions relating to, public health messages and identifying trends in contemporary infant care practices are essential to appropriately inform and refine future infant safe sleep advice. This scoping review sought to examine the extent and nature of empirical literature concerning infant caregiver engagement with, and implementation of, safe sleep risk-reduction advice relating to Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infancy (SUDI). Databases including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Medline, EMBASE and Ovid were searched for relevant peer reviewed publications with publication dates set between January 2000–May 2021. A total of 137 articles met eligibility criteria. Review results map current infant sleeping and care practices that families adopt, primary infant caregivers’ awareness of safe infant sleep advice and the challenges that families encounter implementing safe sleep recommendations when caring for their infant. Findings demonstrate a need for ongoing monitoring of infant sleep practices and family engagement with safe sleep advice so that potential disparities and population groups at greater risk can be identified, with focused support strategies applied.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-01-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12887-020-1917-5
Abstract: Globally, the incidence of sleep-related infant mortality declined dramatically following the first public health c aigns seen internationally in the 1990s to reduce the risks of sudden infant death. However, Australian Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) rates have plateaued with little change in incidence since 2004 despite two further public health safe sleep c aigns. This study aims to describe contemporary infant care practices employed by families related to the current public health SUDI prevention program. A cross-sectional survey of 3341 Queensland primary caregivers with infants approximately 3-months of age was conducted using the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages as a s ling frame. Surveys were returned either via reply-paid mail or online. Questionnaires explored prevalence of infant care practices and awareness of safe sleep recommendations. Univariable analysis was used to generate descriptive statistics for key variables. Overall, only 13% of families routinely practised all six ‘Safe Sleeping’ program messages. More than one third (1118, 34%) of infants had slept in a non-supine sleep position at some time. Potentially hazardous sleep environments were common, with 38% of infants sleeping with soft items or bulky bedding, or on soft surfaces. Nearly half, for either day- or night-time sleeps, were routinely placed in a sleep environment that was not designed or recommended for safe infant sleep (i.e. a bouncer, pram, beanbag). Most babies (84%) were reportedly smoke free before and after birth. Sleeping in the same room as their caregiver for night-time sleeps was usual practice for 75% of babies. Half (1600, 50%) of all babies shared a sleep surface in the last two-weeks. At 8-weeks, 17% of infants were no longer receiving any breastmilk. The prevalence rates of infant care practices among this Australian population demonstrate many families continue to employ suboptimal practices despite Australia’s current safe sleep c aign. Strategic approaches together with informed decisions about pertinent messages to feature within future public health c aigns and government policies are required so targeted support can be provided to families with young infants to aid the translation of safe sleep evidence into safe sleeping practices.
No related grants have been discovered for Roni Cole.