Parents' perceptions of the quality of infant sleep behaviours and practices: a qualitative systematic review

Nina Zanetti, Levita D'Souza, Phillip Tchernegovski, Sarah Blunden

Research output: Contribution to journalReview ArticleResearchpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted to explore how parents perceive sleep quality in their infants aged 0–24 months and the factors that influence these perceptions. A systematic search of the databases Scopus, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo and MEDLINE, was undertaken to identify eligible peer-reviewed studies published between 2006–2021. Ten papers met inclusion criteria and were subsequently included in the review. Evaluation of papers with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist classified papers as weak, moderate or strong, with half considered strong. Thematic synthesis identified one superordinate theme, culture, and five interrelated subordinate themes regarding how parents perceive their infant's sleep and the factors that may influence these perceptions. These themes were: (1) Infants physical and emotional comfort; (2) Beliefs regarding safety; (3) Parental and familial wellbeing; (4) Perceived degree of infant agency; (5) Influence of external beliefs and opinions. The findings from this review may assist practitioners in providing parents with personalized and culturally sensitive information regarding infant sleep and may also inform antenatal and early intervention practices, subsequently minimizing parental distress regarding infant sleep patterns.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere2369
Number of pages30
JournalInfant and Child Development
Volume32
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • infant sleep
  • parents' perceptions
  • qualitative
  • systematic review

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