Infant sleep position in private day care centers in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of infant mortality in Chile and other countries. A significant risk factor is placing infants to sleep in the prone position. A recent survey carried out in Washington D.C. found that 43% of day care centers were unaware of the association between SIDS and sleep position, and that in 49% of centers infants were sometimes placed prone. Our purpose was to obtain information about conducts related to sleeping position of infants that attend a sample of day care centers in Santiago.

Methods: We performed a telephonic survey of 126 day care centers in Santiago. The centers were not visited by the authors to validate the answers.

Results: 91 centers looking after infants of less than 12 months took part. 63 (69%) said that they had policies about sleeping position but only 20 (22%) had a written policy. 24 centers contested that their policy stated prone as the preferred or alternative position. 57 (63%) contested that some infants slept prone, and in 17 all the infants did.

Conclusions: A high percentage of day care centers use this risk factor in their routine. More information is needed for Chilean child care providers about the association between sleep position and SIDS.

Sudden Infant Death; Syndrome; Infants; Sleep; Prone Position; Ambulatory Pediatrics; Child Care; -; -; - -