ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ,ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE TOWARDS INFANT SAFE SLEEP AMONG OF MOTHERS VISITING HEALTH CENTER IN ADDIS IS ABABA,ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Abstract Background- SIDS is the most common cause of post neonatal infant mortality, accounting for 21% of all deaths between 1 mo. and 1year. The most significant risk factors of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are related to the infant’s sleeping environment and position. Little is known about the burden of SIDS or the prevalence of these risk factors in Africa in general, Ethiopia, in particular. Our primary objective is to assess knowledge, attitude and practice towards safe infant sleep among of mothers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Method- We conducted cross-sectional study with mothers of infants aged 1 year or younger visiting selected health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for infant vaccination. We used log binary regression analysis to identify factors predictive of mothers’ knowledge score, mothers’ knowledge on infant sleep position, mother’s infant supine sleep position practice and mothers’ attitude score. Result-Study was conducted with 376 mothers between July,2024-January, 2025.prevalence of knowledge and practice on safe infant sleep is low. On knowledge substantial amount of mothers (73.1%) agree that SIDS/SUIDS can occur to health babies. Only 24% of interviewed mothers knew that babies should be put on their back during sleeping and only 45.5% of them have good (above mean) knowledge score on safe infant sleep questions. And mothers’ knowledge score is associated with level of income and religion(p<0.05). Only 17% of interviewed mothers got information from healthy personnel and 53% got information from their family. On attitude almost all of respondents (90%) have favorable attitude score (>=70%) and only religion shows significant(p<0.05) association with attitude score. On practice- 36.7%of of respondents put their baby on the back sleep position. And 63% of them put their baby on side sleep position. Only 4.8% interviewed mothers do not share bed with their baby during sleep. Only 20% of them offer baby pacifier during bed time. Only religion and knowledge score is significantly(p<0.05) associated with supine infant sleep. Conclusion-There is huge gap on awareness of safe infant sleep among of respondents. Interviewed mothers have favorable attitude. There is a need of increased awareness on safe infant sleep in Ethiopia.