Characteristics of included papers on decision-making for the infant sleep environment in families with children considered to be at high risk of SUDI: studies using interviews
| Lead author Year Country | Sample size | Study aim | Target population | Topic guide broad categories | Analysis | QATSDD score (%) |
| Miller 2008 UK28 | 16 | To explore parents’ understanding of the recommended cot death prevention strategies and sleep practices | Parents of infants 0–6 months, recruitment in disadvantaged area | Advice given and current infant sleep practices | Thematic analysis | 27/42 (64.3) |
| Crane and Ball 2016 UK30 | 46 | How white British and Pakistani mothers in Bradford recall, understand and interpret SIDS-reduction guidance | Mothers residing in socioeconomically deprived inner city areas, with infants aged 8–12 weeks | Feeding, baby’s sleep (surface, room, position, swaddling and temperature), day care, temperature, dummy use, cultural norms and health information | Thematic analysis | 30/42 (71.4) |
| Clarke 2016 New Zealand (Master’s thesis)26 | 13 | Maternal values, safe sleep knowledge and how practical realities influence decision-making in the night-time care of infants. | Mothers living in economically deprived areas with babies under 6 months old | Night-time care, partner involvement, advice, sources, trust, conflicting information, mothering, safety and sleep, and risk taking (self and others) | Thematic analysis | 32/42 (76.2) |
| Pease et al 2017 UK27 | 20 | To understand why some mothers in the UK do not follow the recommended SIDS advice, in particular, mothers who are more at risk of suffering a SIDS tragedy | Mothers with three or more from: maternal age of <26 years, three or more children, smoking during pregnancy, Index of Multiple Deprivation score in the most deprived quintile | infant sleep position, cosleeping, smoking, dummy use, feeding and disrupted routines | Thematic analysis | 28/42 (66.7) |
| Ellis 2019 UK (PhD thesis)29 | 5 | Lived experience of young first-time mothers identified as being at increased risk of experiencing SUDI, their understanding of safe sleep practices, what factors influence their decision-making and behaviour in relation to their infant’s sleep environment, and whether infant care practices change over time | White British pregnant women, first child, aged 16–21 years, with at least one of smoking; misuse of drugs or alcohol; unemployment or low income; reported housing issues (rented, overcrowding and homelessness/sofa surfing) | Understanding of safe sleep practices, what factors influence their decision-making and behaviour in relation to their infant’s sleep environment and whether infant care practices change over time | Interpretative phenomenological analysis | 42/42 (100.0) |
QATSDD, Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs; SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome; SUDI, sudden unexpected death in infancy.