Survey of sleeping position after hospital discharge in healthy preterm infants
Adams, M.M.; Kugener, B.; Mirmiran, M.; Ariagno, R.L.
Journal of Perinatology Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association 18(3): 168-172
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0743-8346 PMID: 9659642 Document Number: 492338
To evaluate the prevalence of nonprone (supine or side) versus prone sleeping position in healthy preterm infants. A questionnaire on sleeping position was mailed to mothers of 167 preterm infants discharged from the intermediate nursery at Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. The prevalence of nonprone sleeping at 1 month (term corrected age) and 3 months (2 months corrected age) after nursery discharge was analyzed by an unpaired t test. Nonprone position sleeping occurred in 64% initially and dropped to 35% at 2 months corrected age. Overall, nonprone sleeping was widespread in our healthy preterm infants after hospital discharge but may not persist. A majority of these infants were sleeping prone during a high-risk period for sudden infant death syndrome.