which health promotion behavior would the nurse reinforce with new parents during a community clinic visit to support primary prevention efforts for SIDS?
a. attend regular medical check ups
b. place on back to sleep
c. avoid exposure to cigarette smoke
d. encourage breastfeeding
e. limit bedding to one lightweight blanket
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is b. place on back to sleep.
Explanation:
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of an otherwise healthy infant, typically occurring during sleep. To prevent SIDS, primary prevention efforts aim to educate parents and caregivers on safe sleep practices. One of the most significant and well-supported recommendations is to place the infant on their back to sleep, which greatly reduces the risk of SIDS.
Placing an infant on their back to sleep is a practice that has been extensively researched. The “Back to Sleep” campaign, now known as “Safe to Sleep,” has demonstrated that infants who are placed on their stomachs or sides to sleep are at a much higher risk of suffocation or rebreathing carbon dioxide, leading to SIDS. Studies have shown that the risk of SIDS can be reduced by up to 50% if infants are placed on their backs for all sleep periods. This practice applies not only to nighttime sleep but also to naps.
Other recommended practices for reducing the risk of SIDS include:
- Avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke (c): Secondhand smoke is a known risk factor for SIDS. Smoking during pregnancy or around the infant increases the likelihood of SIDS.
- Encouraging breastfeeding (d): Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS, as breastfed infants are less likely to die from the condition than formula-fed babies.
- Limiting bedding to one lightweight blanket (e): Overheating or suffocation due to heavy blankets, pillows, or other soft bedding can increase the risk of SIDS, so minimizing bedding and ensuring the sleep surface is firm is recommended.
- Attending regular medical checkups (a): While important for the overall health and well-being of the infant, regular checkups are not specific primary prevention efforts for SIDS.
In summary, placing an infant on their back to sleep is the most critical and evidence-based practice for reducing the risk of SIDS.