Few parents with infants aged 12 months or younger report adhering to all three recommended safe sleep practices at sleep onset and after nighttime waking, according to a study published in Pediatrics. Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional survey of parents with infants aged 12 months and younger to assess parent-reported sleep practices. A composite score examined whether all three safe sleep practices were used at sleep onset and after nighttime waking. Safe sleep was defined as the supine position, sleeping in a separate space, and sleeping in a crib, bassinet, cradle, or play yard. Among participants, 39% reported a second sleep practice. Of those, 28% and 9% met all three safe sleep criteria at sleep onset and at both time points, respectively. Significantly more changes in sleep practices were to less-safe practices. Parental age (<25), parental race and ethnicity, first-time parents, homes with smoke exposure, and infants born prematurely (<37 weeks) were associated with second-sleep practices.
