SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEPING POSITION AND LOCATION

Recent research has implicated infant sleeping body position and bed s haring as risk factors in the sudden infant death syndrome. The sociod emographic associations of infant sleeping body position and location were examined in this study. This showed that the majority (86.4%) of New Zealand parents now place their infants to sleep on their sides. T he remainder place their infants supine (1.3%), prone (4.8%), or no pa rticular way (7.5%). In the waking position, 57.9% were usually found on their sides, 18.2% supine, and 6.1% prone. Infant sleeping position showed marked sociodemographic variability. These findings are a mark ed contrast to previous New Zealand studies which showed a reversed pa ttern, with most infants put to sleep prone. There were also highly si gnificant sociodemographic differences in the place of sleeping. Overa ll 12.2% of infants shared a bed, with infants of younger less well ed ucated mothers who were of non-European origin, with a parity of five or more, or unmarried significantly more likely to do so. Infants of u nemployed and lower socioeconomic group (Elley-Irving groups 5 and 6) fathers were also more likely to share a parental bed.