| The purpose of this investigation was to determine the sleep and feeding patterns of Hispanic American infants and the practices their mothers typically used to soothe their infants. The design was a prospective longitudinal telephone survey. The national sample (n = 237) was called when their infants were 2-, 4-, 8-, and 12-months-old.; Hispanic infants' sleep and feeding patterns, and their mothers' corresponding child care practices changed over the first year. Fifteen to 21% of infants had a problem awakening during the night; 23–40% had a problem settling. These infants were more likely to be soothed to sleep by their mother. More parents were aware of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for sleep position than were aware of the feeding recommendations. Less than half of mothers breastfed at 2 months. Few parents placed their infant to sleep on their stomachs, however this increased with age. Parents preferred the back or side positions for sleep for their infants at all ages. Scheduled feedings, scheduled bedtimes, scheduled naptimes, white noise, and cosleeping were commonly employed procedures. Medications and scheduled awakenings were uncommon. Other moderately used techniques included: feeding or nursing to sleep, shortening or eliminating naps, toys, blankets, and pacifiers, extinction, and graduated extinction.; Except for higher rates of cosleeping, less prone sleeping, and fewer parents who liked the prone sleeping position for their infants, the patterns and practices of Hispanic infants and mothers were similar to those of Black and White infants and mothers from previous investigations. |
