Creating Change: How Knowledge Translates into Action for Protecting Babies from Sudden Infant Death?

Stephanie      Cowan

Abstract

We know how to protect babies from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and have had considerable success in doing so. Yet babies continue to die in non-supine positions, unsafe sleeping environments and exposed to smoking. Why? Understanding what underpins the success to date is essential to the design of strategies for the final stage of prevention. This paper reviews influences on changing SIDS mortality, describes the practice of creating change as it relates to protecting babies from sudden infant death, and presents three principles that emerge from the success to date to focus the design of research and intervention programmes for ending the SIDS story.

Keywords: Sudden infant death syndrome, prevention, smoking, bed sharing, sleep position, appreciative inquiry, innovation diffusion

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