Falling Asleep During Infant Feeding
by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM
Caring for a young infant 24/7 can be exhausting, especially when it comes to frequent feedings. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that tired caregivers feed an infant in an adult bed rather than a couch, chair or sofa to reduce the odds of sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUID).
This week’s study surveyed 1,259 mothers of healthy term infants born at 16 U.S. hospitals to examine the frequency, demographics, and locations where they fell asleep while feeding. Most mothers completed the survey 8–12 weeks postpartum. Each mother received one of four postpartum education interventions related to breastfeeding and/or safe sleep.
The researchers found that 28% of mothers had fallen asleep while feeding their infant in the past 2 weeks, with approximately 33% feeding in bed, 17% feeding in a chair, 25% feeding on a sofa, and 30% feeding in another location (not defined).
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- Falling asleep during feeding was less common among mothers who partially breastfed or who formula fed, compared to those who exclusively breastfed.
- Most mothers who reported falling asleep during infant feeding planned to do so.
- The most common reason to sit in a chair to feed their infant at night was personal comfort.
- Compared with mothers whose nighttime feeding was the mother’s bed, those reporting feeding in a chair were less likely to fall asleep.
- The mothers who received more education about safe sleep practices were less likely to fall asleep during infant feeding.
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Abstract
Background and Objectives
Falling asleep while feeding (FAF) infants is common. Our primary objectives were to examine (1) maternally reported prevalence of FAF and if planned; (2) as sociation between FAF and sociodemographic factors, feeding method, and sleep location; and (3) if receipt of education about safe sleep and bedsharing risks was associated with FAF.
Methods
In the Social Media and Risk-reduction Training study, US mothers of newborns were randomized to educational messaging promoting infant safe sleep or breastfeeding. We analyzed data from 1259 mothers who responded to the postpartum survey (mean infant age, 11.2 weeks). We used generalized estimating equation logistic regression models to examine the extent that sociodemographic characteristics, feeding type, usual nighttime feeding location, and intervention group were associated with FAF.
Results
A total of 28.2% of mothers reported FAF usually or sometimes in the last 2 weeks, 83.4% of whom reported that FAF was unplanned. There were no differences in the odds of FAF by sociodemographic factors. Compared with mothers whose nighttime feeding location was their bed, mothers who reported feeding in a chair were less likely to FAF (33.6% versus 16.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.56). FAF was reported less frequently by mothers who received safe sleep interventions (15.6%), compared with mothers who received breastfeeding interventions (33.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.65).
Conclusions
FAF is reported commonly among US mothers and is predominantly unplanned. Mothers who received safe sleep messaging were less likely to report FAF. New parents need guidance on planning for optimal safety during infant feeding.
This study demonstrates that falling asleep during infant feeding is both common and often unintentional.
The authors suggest that parents should plan in advance where they will feed their infant at night, making this a valuable topic for anticipatory guidance during prenatal or early postpartum discussions.
This study did not evaluate risk of falling asleep during infant feeding among other caregivers other than mothers, and parents should be advised to discuss this issue with other caregivers who help feed their infant.
Although findings showed that mothers who exclusively breastfed were more likely to fall asleep during feedings than those who partially breastfed or formula-fed, the study did not precisely define breastfeeding practices, leaving it unclear if exclusively breastfeeding mothers also used bottles of breastmilk. Additionally, there was no information on how long mothers slept while feeding or whether these episodes occurred during the day or night.
While this study provides a valuable foundation for understanding factors that impact safe infant feeding, further research is needed to clarify specific breastfeeding practices and the context of these sleep episodes.