Sleeping Safe and Sound: A Multidisciplinary Hospital-wide Infant Safe Sleep Quality Improvement Initiative

INTRODUCTION

Promoting safe sleep to decrease sudden unexpected infant death is challenging in the hospital setting.

LOCAL PROBLEM

Concern for adherence to safe sleep practice across inpatient units at a large pediatric hospital.

METHODS

Used quality improvement methodologies to promote safe sleep across all units.

INTERVENTIONS

Development of a multidisciplinary expert group, hospital-wide guidelines, targeted interventions, and bedside audits to track progress.

RESULTS

Adherence to safe sleep practices improved from 9% to 53%. Objects in the crib were a major barrier to maintaining a safe sleep environment. Safe sleep practices were less likely to be observed in infants with increased medical complexity (p = .027).

CONCLUSIONS

Quality improvement methodology improved adherence to infant safe sleep guidelines across multiple units. Medically complex infants continue to be a challenge to safe sleep. Therefore, ongoing education for staff and further research into best practices for the most complex infant populations are necessary.