Mothers' behaviors regarding infant sleeping position: effects of the lastpublic education campaign for sudden infant death syndrome.

Background. - To define infant care practices in maternity units and those subsequently adopted at home. Using these data, we evaluated the acceptance and application of recommendations issued by the previous public education campaign on infant sleeping position as related to sudden infant death syn drome. Patients and methods. - A survey was carried out in two maternity units (Po rt-Royal and Creteil) and in one pediatric consultation unit (affiliated wi th Port-Royal maternity). Results. - The mixed position (side or back) is used equally with, respecti vely, 47% at Port-Royal and 45% at Creteil. The supine sleeping position (F rench public health recommendations) is used by 12% of the mothers at Port- Royal and by 40% at Creteil. It appears that hospital nurseries play an imp ortant role in determining the mother's preference for the sleeping positio n (64% at Port-Royal and 54% at Creteil), but it does not adequately explai n all mothers' responses. However, as the infants mature (> two months old) , the more spontaneously they changed their sleeping position. All the infa nts placed in a side sleeping position moved to a supine sleeping position during the night. Upon awakening, infants were found mostly in the supine p osition tin contrast to the national public education campaign). Conclusion. - Our results show that mothers and hospital nurseries were dis tressed in terms of ensuring the supine sleeping position of the infant. Ne w choices of sleeping positions were initiated by mothers. For example, the y used the side position after feedings essentially in the case of reflux o r during the daytime. The supine position was used when the mothers were as sured that any problems had been avoided or only during the night. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.