Infant/Toddler Safe Sleep & SIDS Risk Reduction in Child Care NEWSLETTER

A research study conducted by Dr. Rachel Moon and colleagues at the National Children's Medical Center and published in the journal Pediatrics reported unexpected findings.1

The researchers hypothesized that "a substantial proportion of SIDS cases occur in child care settings and that infant sleep position may play a role in SIDS occurring in child care."

Dr. Moon's team found that a disproportionate 20% of SIDS deaths nationwide occurred in child care settings. This rate is much higher than the seven percent expected to occur, given census data on the number of babies in child care and the amount of time they spend there. The majority of the babies were found sleeping on their stomach when they died. They also found 60% of the SIDS cases happened in family child care homes.

The researchers compared retrospective data of SIDS deaths from January 1995 through June 1997 and examined birth and death certificate data. They also interviewed parents from the 11 states from which the data was collected. The study sample size was 1,916 SIDS deaths.

These research findings have fueled a renewed "call to action." Dr. Moon and authors call on pediatricians to reinforce the "back to sleep" message with parents and suggest that parents, in turn, should discuss this with their children's caregivers.

Reference: 1. Moon.R.Y., K.M. Patel and S.J. McDermott Shaefer. Pediatrics. 2000;106(2):295-300.

In North Carolina, babies have died suddenly and unexpectedly in a variety of settings, including: registered child care centers, family child care homes, homes of relatives or babysitters. Data from the N.C. Division of Child Development show that in 2001, of the six deaths occurring in child care, all six of these were attributed to SIDS.

The Infant/Toddler Safe Sleep and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Risk Reduction in Child Care (ITS-SIDS) Project was developed to introduce safe sleep standards for babies in child care and to help reduce risks associated with SIDS throughout N.C.'s regulated child care facilities.

ITS-SIDS, an initiative of the N.C. Back to Sleep Campaign for SIDS Risk Reduction, is a project of the North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation. It is funded by the N.C. Division of Child Development from July 2002 through June 2004.

As the ITS-SIDS Project enters its sixth month, staff are immersed in a variety of activities:

• developing a training curriculum and educational materials
• setting up the Train-the-Trainer sessions
• recruiting ITS-SIDS Trainers
• establishing the data analysis and data entry systems

Soon, ITS-SIDS Trainers will be able to access information and technical assistance on-line through the ITS-SIDS eNET.

Other benchmarks:

• 102 participants attended the Licensing Consultants (LC) orientation and training workshop at five sessions during September 2002.
• 218 Pre-tests for counties in Phase I were received.
• The ITS-SIDS Advisory Group has been expanded to include representatives from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and from the Office of Minority Health.
• Advisory Group members have assisted with the ITS-SIDS Trainer recruitment and curriculum review.

ITS-SIDS Trainer applicants are being notified about their approval status and the Train-the-Trainer dates in their regions.

Five ITS-SIDS Trainer sessions for Phase l have been set up across the state. The counties selected for Phase l correspond to those counties with higher SIDS rates. Criteria for selecting the actual training sites included central location and free use of the site.

Appreciation is extended to our regional partners who will be hosting the ITS-SIDS Train-the-Trainer sessions.

Click here to access the training schedule details