Knowledge Levels of Nurses of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Safe Sleep: A Descriptive Study

Introduction: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is one of the leading causes of infant deaths in the post neonatal period. A safe sleep environment should be created to reduce SIDS risk factors. The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge levels of Turkish family health nurses regarding SIDS and safe sleep.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 115 nurses working in family health centers in a province in Türkiye between March and July 2021. Data were collected using a form developed by the researcher.
Results: It was found that the nurses' average score on SIDS and safe sleep was 19.59 (±3.36) out of 30 and that nobody correctly responded to every question on the information form. The average knowledge level score of married nurses was higher than that of single ones, and nurses with one or two children outperformed those who had no or more than three kids (p<0.05). The average knowledge level score rose in tandem with the nurses' educational attainment (p<0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: The knowledge of nurses regarding SIDS and safe sleep was found to be above average, while it was found that their knowledge was incomplete. It was concluded that nurses' knowledge concerning SIDS and safe sleep practices needed to be strengthened. The inclusion of SIDS and safe sleep-in undergraduate nursing curricula, along with in-service training, is projected to help nurses become more knowledgeable and aware of the concern.

Keywords: Knowledge level; Nurse; Safe sleep; Sudden infant death syndrome