Handle with Care: A Narrative Review of Infant Safe Sleep Practices across Clinical Guidelines and Social Media to Reduce SIDS

Abstract

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of infant mortality across the United States and the world. There are multiple environmental and behavioral determinants of sudden infant death which are modifiable risk factors and potential targets for intervention. In this increasingly digital era, health education and communication on SIDS have taken many forms, which extend to social media. Current published studies on coverage of infant safe sleep practices are scant and were published well before the newly revised guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics that review ways to prevent infant sleep-related deaths based on evidence-based SIDS-reduction measures. In this Perspective: Review of a Pediatric Field, the current state of published knowledge and coverage on a range of infant safe sleep considerations across social media are reviewed. We delineate gaps in the knowledge and practice as well as the central differences between the 2016 and 2022 AAP Safe Sleep guidelines. We also present recommendations for further research and practice which support coverage of future content on the revised guidelines across social media as the basis to present the most up-to-date and evidence-based information for reducing sudden infant death from sleep-related causes. Tapping into the potential of social media as a learning modality in health promotion also contributes towards the larger goal of the World Health Organization, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and Healthy People 2030 to reduce infant mortality on both global and national levels.