Health Promotion Plan
The focus of this health promotion plan is sudden infant death syndrome, which refers to the sudden death of infants under one year of age, which cannot be explained even following a thorough investigation including autopsy, death scene investigation, and clinical history review. The syndrome is also referred to as “crib death” since the death is usually associated with sleep and such often happens while the baby is sleeping in their crib (Duncan & Byard, 2018). In the US, sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of postneonatal death.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the US, there are about 3,400 cases of infant death annually (“Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Data and Statistics”, 2020). Thus, measures must be taken to combat sudden infant death syndrome given its prevalence and its adverse impact on the promotion of a healthy population. The primary objective of the maternal health system is to ensure the provision of high-quality maternity care during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postneonatal care (Duncan & Byard, 2018). The high prevalence of sudden infant death syndrome inhibits the maternal health system from achieving this objective, hence the need for a health promotion plan to address the concern. Combating sudden infant death syndrome will lead to a reduced mortality rate in below age one infant population.
Health Goals
- By the end of this educational program, the audience will be conversant with all the risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome.
- By the end of this educational program, the audience will be well-informed about mothers whose babies are at high risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
- By the end of this educational program, the audience will have learned about the precautions that can be implemented to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
Scenario
This educational program targets pregnant women, regardless of the stage they are in their pregnancy. The program will entail a four-hour session, which will educate the audience about sudden infant death syndrome and what they can do to reduce or prevent its occurrence. The program will specifically focus on the risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome, mothers whose infants are at high risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and precautions that can be taken to reduce its prevalence. Thus, the educational program will entail a face-to-face teaching/learning session.
Population Demographic Data and Characteristics of the Target Group
The health promotion plan targets young mothers living in Mississippi. This is because Mississippi is one of the states with the highest rates of sudden infant death syndrome. In 2019, the state reported 184.7 cases of sudden infant death syndrome per 100,000 live births (“Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Data and Statistics”, 2020). Preferably, the program targets women in their first pregnancy but others can attend too. The program targets women in their first pregnancy since they do not have experience in taking care of an infant. The target age is below 20 years since sudden infant death syndrome mainly affects infants whose mothers are below the age of 20 (Horne, 2019). The target group is also pregnant women with low socioeconomic status since they have the least access to high-quality prenatal care. The objective of this health promotion program is to raise awareness about sudden infant death syndrome as well as impact pregnant women with information that will allow them to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome occurring to their infants once they are born.
Why the Population is predisposed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
There are several risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome. One, placing an infant on his/her side or stomach to sleep, as opposed to his/her back. Two, low birth weight and premature babies. Three, overheating the infant during sleep. Four, sleeping on a surface that is too soft, with bumper pads and loose blankets. Five, having a family history of sudden infant death syndrome or infants’ failure to thrive (Horne, 2019). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, while sudden infant death syndrome can affect any family, it is often prevalent among mothers who are under the age of 20 when their children are born, who smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy, and those who receive little or no prenatal care (“Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Parents and Caregivers”, 2020). This education program will benefit the target audience by informing them about these factors, which predispose their kids to sudden infant death syndrome. It will also educate them on precautions that they can take to combat sudden infant death syndrome.
Precautions that mothers can take to protect their babies from sudden infant death syndrome include creating a safe sleep area for their infants. Whereas researchers and health care providers do not know the exact cause of sudden infant death syndrome, research works have shown that caregivers and parents can help reduce its risk by taking measures geared toward creating a safe sleep area for babies (“Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Parents and Caregivers”, 2020). The health promotion plan will, therefore, focus on teaching the target group how to create a safe sleep area for infants.
Aspects to Include in the Development of a Sociogram
Components that can be included in the development of a sociogram related to sudden infant death syndrome include economic factors, cultural factors, genetics, and lifestyle. An individual’s economic position can influence their ability to provide a safe sleep area for their baby. Additionally, the economic position can influence a pregnant woman’s ability to receive quality prenatal care. Cultural factors include the beliefs about child care related to an individual’s cultural background. Different cultures have varying beliefs about child care hence the need to incorporate cultural factors. As mentioned by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention there exist families with a history of sudden infant death syndrome (“Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Parents and Caregivers”, 2020). Hence, it is also imperative to include genetics. Lastly, a mother’s lifestyle impacts the health of her child. According to Duncan and Byard (2018), sudden death infant syndrome occurs more often in babies whose mothers smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs during pregnancy.
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