The Relation of Maternal Psychosocial Risk Factors to Infant Safe Sleep Practices

Sleep-related infant deaths are a common and preventable cause of infant mortality in the United States. Moreover, infants of color are at a greater risk of sleep-related deaths than are White infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published safe sleep guidelines to minimize the number of sleep-related infant deaths; however, many families face barriers to following these guidelines. Research on the role of psychosocial risk factors (i.e., depression, stress, domestic violence, substance use) in mothers’ engagement in safe sleep practices is limited. The present study examined the role of maternal psychosocial risk factors on maternal safe sleep practices and the moderating effects of maternal race on this relationship.

Participants in this study were mothers (N = 274) who were recruited from a Midwestern hospital postpartum. Data on the participants’ psychosocial risk factors, and safe sleep practices were collected via telephone interview 2–4 months following the birth of their infant.

Predictive models indicated that depression and stress impacted mothers’ engagement in following the safe sleep guidelines. Specifically, higher levels of maternal depression predicted greater likelihood of co-sleeping, regardless of mothers’ race. Higher levels of maternal stress also predicted lower engagement in safe sleep behaviors for White mothers only.

Early interventions to address stress and depression may help to increase maternal adherence to the AAP’s safe sleep guidelines. Additional research on the underlying mechanisms of depression and stress on maternal safe sleep engagement is needed.