Safe Sleep Ambassadors–A Model for Improving Infant Safe Sleep Practices in Chicago Communities Using Social Networks

Background Approximately 3400 infants in the U.S. die each year from sleep-related deaths. These deaths disproportionately affect minoritized babies. In Cook County, IL sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is 16 times more likely to occur in non-Hispanic Black infants, and four times more likely among Hispanic infants compared to non-Hispanic White infants. To prevent infant sleep-related deaths and improve awareness of safe sleep practices among Chicago families living in communities with high rates of infant sleep-related deaths, we piloted a program to train trusted community members to provide safe sleep training to caregivers of infants and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness. Methods Community members from the South and West side neighborhoods of Chicago were recruited and trained to serve as Safe Sleep Ambassadors (SSA). SSA identified neighborhood members who serve as infant caregivers, educated them about infant safe sleep practices, and distributed safe sleep kits. Pre-and post- training knowledge assessments were conducted prior to SSA-led community information sessions. Results During this two-year pilot project from 2020-2021, 22 community members were trained to be SSA and went on to educate 96 community members including mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles, and grandparents who serve as infant caregivers and distribute 96 infant safe sleep kits. The mean knowledge score on the pre-assessment was 6.8 (out of 10; n=22) and 7.9 on the post-assessment (paired means T-test, p = 0.03; n=12). More safe sleep trainings were conducted by SSA with longstanding community relationships. Conclusion Training community members to serve as trusted public health messengers to provide infant safe sleep education is an effective strategy to reach a range of infant caregivers. This pilot project showed that even a short training session improved understanding and enabled participants to train others. In neighborhoods that have experienced high rates of sleep-related infant death, utilizing trusted community members to provide trustworthy information and resources can be an effective solution to overcome inaccurate information about safe sleep and shift the trend in decades of sleep-related deaths.