Mothers’ Attitudes to the Infant Sleep Environment (MAISE)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Factors influencing infant care practices in the sleep environment amongst deprived families in Bristol
IRAS ID
133596
Contact name
Anna S Pease
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Research summary
The main aim of the research is to understand the views of deprived mothers on the infant sleep environment. This study will help us to understand more about what parents need to keep their babies safe while they sleep, especially parents from disadvantaged backgrounds with infants more at risk of SIDS/cot death (larger families and young, economically-deprived mothers who smoke). Some parents choose to sleep their babies in their beds with them, for some it might make breastfeeding easier but we need to know more about what factors influence their decisions to do this. We also need to understand this practice better to find out if and how it can be done safely. We also need to understand how things change when routine is interrupted.
The purpose of the proposed research is to understand these processes and provide a basis for advice that aims to keep infants safe while they sleep without undermining bonding and breastfeeding. A brief 1 page questionnaire will be used to find out what mothers already know about current SIDS advice and collect data on six risk factors. Some more deprived mothers will be invited to take part in a home interview for an in-depth discussion about infant feeding and the sleeping environment. The interview will also investigate other risk factors associated with SIDS, in particular swaddling, dummy use, sleeping position and arrangement of bedding and look at how these practices are affected when there is a change in the normal routine. The variation in less than ideal conditions and coping strategies of the parents may inform us how we need to get risk prevention messages across.
The findings from the proposed research could be used to inform public health advice for parents, especially for those families with infants at higher risk of SIDS.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/WM/0403
Date of REC Opinion
2 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion