Intimate Partner Violence Around the Time of Pregnancy and Infant Safe Sleep Practices

Does intimate partner violence (IPV) before or during pregnancy increase the likelihood of unsafe infant sleep practices (surface sharing and non-supine positioning) among women with a recent live birth? The sample included 213,556 women with a recent live birth participating in the 2016 to 2022 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) from 41 U.S. jurisdictions. We analyzed PRAMS data to estimate the prevalence of physical IPV 12 months before or during pregnancy and infant sleep practices (i.e., surface sharing and supine positioning) by demographic characteristics. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) to examine associations between physical IPV and infant sleep practices. Overall, 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] [3.1, 3.3]) of women reported physical IPV in the 12 months before or during pregnancy. Experiences of physical IPV in the 12 months before or during pregnancy were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of reporting surface sharing in the 2 weeks before survey administration and those who had experienced physical IPV had 20% higher odds of putting their infant in a non-supine sleep position compared to those who had not experienced IPV (aOR = 1.2, 95% CI [1.1, 1.4]). Physical IPV before or during pregnancy may be an important risk factor for unsafe infant sleep practices. Attention to IPV as a potential barrier to safe infant sleep practices may be an important consideration for perinatal care and support.