SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS): PARENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL STAFF, DO WE HAVE A PLACE TO IMPROVE?

Abstract

The most effective prevention of SIDS is safe infant sleep. Objectives. To investigate parental knowledge of SIDS, compare if it depends on parental age, education, hospital of delivery, general practitioner (GP). Methods. An online questionnaire survey was conducted, including parents of babies born in 2020, with babies aged ≤1 year. Results. 2371 questionnaires were analysed. 87.1 % of parents are aware, 12.4 % have heard of it, 0.4% are completely unaware of SIDS. 67.7 % lack knowledge about SIDS. 92.5 % answered that their GP hadn’t spoken to them about SIDS. 6.6 % of parents had been given inadequate or incorrect information on SIDS. People with a university degree are more likely to say that they know what SIDS is (p<0.001). Parents’ knowledge of what SIDS is independent of the hospital where their child was born (p>0.05). Parents report receiving too little information about SIDS in the postnatal hospital and from the GPs.