PREVALENCE OF PRONE SLEEPING POSITION AND SELECTED INFANT CARE PRACTICES OF NORTH-DAKOTA INFANTS - A COMPARISON OF WHITES AND NATIVE-AMERICANS

A cross-sectional prevalence study was done in four primary care clini cs (two rural and two urban sites) and four Native American clinics se rving members of the Chippewa, Sioux, Hidasta, Arikara, and Mandan tri bes, all in North Dakota, to determine the prevalence of prone, supine , and side sleeping position in white and Native American infants. Que stionnaires for 325 infants (259 whites and 66 Native Americans) betwe en birth and 6 months of age were completed by the infants' mothers. T hey reported that 69 percent of the infants slept prone, 17 percent sl ept supine, and 14 percent slept on their side. Native American infant s, who are at 3.2 times the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome compa red with other North Dakota infants, slept prone 46.9 percent of the t ime compared with 74.4 percent of white infants (chi2 = 23.61; 1 df; P <.0001). No differences were observed in the prevalence of the side sl eeping position. Eighteen percent of the infants slept in the position reported due to advice from a physician or nurse, 8 percent of the in fants slept with more than two blankets, and 5 percent slept with a pi llow. Native American infants in North Dakota did not have a higher pr evalence of exposure to prone sleeping position.