Presenter Profile
Ky Renshaw, Undergraduate
University of Iowa
kynan-renshaw@uiowa.edu
Kynan Renshaw is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Iowa studying Human Physiology. Originally from Queensland, Australia, he relocated to Denver, Colorado, six years ago, and has since become an avid skier and a swim instructor. Kynan’s current research in injury prevention focuses on the knowledge and use of safe sleep practices among rural adolescents. He aims to address the gap in literature, as virtually no studies have examined preconception teens’ awareness and implementation of safe sleep protocols.
Presentations
Infant Safe Sleep Practices of Rural Iowa Adolescents
Ky Renshaw, Undergraduate
Nicholas Stange, MD MPH
Cole Wymore, MD
Parker Sternhagen, Undergraduate
Brooke Askelsen, Undergraduate
Sarah Nichols, BS
Kareem Shoukih, BS
Alec Marticoff, BS
Mikayla Gibson, BS
Brenda Vergara, AA
Pam Hoogerwerf, BA
Charles Jennissen, MS
The number of infants <1 year of age that die of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) in the U.S. each year is similar to that of the number of motor vehicle-related deaths in those <20 years. By following safe sleep practices, the risk of SUID can be decreased. Our study objectives were to: 1) determine the proportion of rural Iowa adolescents that take care of infants <1 year of age and in what capacity, and 2) identify the proportion that have placed infants <1 year of age to sleep and whether they always followed basic infant safe sleep practices.
An anonymous survey was performed of 2025 Iowa FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) Leadership Conference attendees at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital safety booth. Surveys were completed either electronically on Qualtrics via phone or on paper which were later entered into Qualtrics. Data were exported and descriptive and bivariate (chi-square) analyses were performed using Excel and Vassarstats (http://vassarstats.net/).
1641 adolescents 13-18 years of age completed the survey. Nearly three-fifths (59%) were 16-18 years old and over three-fifths (61%) were female. Nearly half (48%) lived on a farm, 23% lived in the country, but not on a farm and 29% lived in a town. The vast majority (95%) were non-Hispanic White. Overall, nearly three-quarters (72%) had taken care of a child <1 year of age; of these, 55% had done so as a babysitter, 43% did so for a relative’s infant (not a sibling) and 35% had taken care of a sibling <1 year of age. Overall, 57% stated they had placed a baby <1 year of age down for a nap or nighttime sleep. Of adolescents that had placed a baby <1 year of age down for sleep, 45% only reported places that would be considered safe (i.e., bassinet, baby’s own crib, pack and play/portable crib). As far as the sleep position, 78% stated they only placed babies <1 year of age down to sleep on their back. There were no significant differences by sex regarding proportions that had taken care of a baby <1 year of age, that had babysat, taken care of a relative’s child or had taken care of a sibling, that had placed a baby <1 year of age down to sleep, or that had reported always placing a baby in a safe place and a safe position to sleep.
Most rural adolescents in the study had placed a baby <1 year of age down to sleep with most having placed an infant in an unsafe place and one-fifth having placed infants not on their back. Adolescents should be targeted for infant safe sleep education, for example, in school and during babysitting classes.
1. Discuss the proportion of rural adolescents that take care of babies less than 1 year of age and their relationship to those children.
2. State the proportion of adolescents that report always placing an baby less than 1 year of age for a nap or nighttime sleep in a safe place and in a safe position.
3. Identify at least two ways in which adolescents could be educated regarding infant safe sleep practices.