The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): Nurse Continuing Education Program on SIDS Risk Reduction

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Nurse Continuing Education Program on SIDS Risk Reduction

This project is highly relevant and timely as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a new position statement in October 2005, published in the November 2005 issue of Pediatrics to address the emerging issues related to SIDS and infant sleep safety. This includes detailed guidelines for Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Newborn Nurseries and the profound impact of health care providers, most notably nurses, on the future infant care practices of families and caregivers after discharge.
The purpose of this CEU will be to share with nurses:
Ø the latest risk-reduction information on SIDS
Ø increase their knowledge base and enhance their skills in ways to communicate this information to parents and caregivers in a culturally competent manner by:
1.       using scientific and evidence based research,
2.       identifying a safe sleeping environment to lower the risk of SIDS, and
3.       Discussing common barriers and myths to complying with the SIDS risk reduction recommendations for nurses, parents, caregivers and others.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the CE, nurses will be able to:
1. Define SIDS including:
Ø  Description of the etiology of SIDS (triple-risk theory)
Ø  Identification of the risk factors for SIDS (prenatal risk factors, developmental risk factors, and environmental risk factors) including the physiological differences and impact of supine and prone position for infants
Ø Discussion of the epidemiology of SIDS (national SIDS rates, disparities in SIDS rates among Native Americans, African Americans, Caucasians and other groups within the United States, and the decline of SIDS rates since 1994)
2. List the critical SIDS risk-reduction messages for parents/caregivers:
Ø Back to Sleep
Ø Safe sleep environment (firm mattress, no fluffy bedding or stuffed toys)
Ø Baby’s head remains uncovered during sleep
Ø No smoking around baby
Ø No Bed sharing, or sleeping on couches and other hazardous environments
Ø Do not let baby get too warm during sleep
Ø Guidelines for tummy time
Ø Guidelines for pacifier use as a protective factor
3. List four barriers to back sleeping for parents and nurses:
Ø Regurgitation/aspiration concerns
Ø Deep sleep/infant comfort concerns
Ø Plagiocephaly (deformity of the skull often due to repeated back sleep position)
Ø Contrary advice from relative or a caregiver
4. Describe their key role as an educator to parents/caregivers and peers (other nurses) about SIDS.
Ø Patient education and role modeling
Ø Infant Sleep Safety including bed sharing versus room sharing, implications related to cultural and traditional practices, breastfeeding and parent-infant bonding concerns
Ø Discussing concern related to pacifiers use and breastfeeding
At the completion of the presentation nurses will have increased their capabilities of discussing SIDS, safe sleep environments and protective factors by gaining  in-depth knowledge of the most recent scientific and evidence based information and recommendations.