{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T23:10:56Z","timestamp":1788390656748,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,28]],"date-time":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1716854400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Western Australian Nurses Memorial Charitable Trust Fund"},{"name":"Women\u2019s and Infants Research Foundation"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The effects of preterm birth, neonatal morbidities and environmental influences on infant sleep development is an important yet under-researched topic, with little known about normative sleep for infants born sick or preterm. The aim of this prospective, observational longitudinal study was to evaluate maternal perceptions and degree of bother with infant sleep behaviours and feeding outcomes across the first 9 months after discharge for sick\/preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and for healthy term-born infants. This paper reports outcomes for the sick\/preterm cohort (I = 94) that were recruited from two NICUs in Perth, Western Australia. Total bother scores were on average 20.2% higher at 9 months than at two weeks post-discharge (p &lt; 0.001). Increased night waking frequency, evening settling duration and crying duration were all positively associated with total bother scores. Maternal confidence scores were negatively associated with maternal bother scores; with each unit increase in confidence, maternal bother decreased by 8.5% (p &lt; 0.001). Covariates such as birth gestation, breastfeeding status and multiple births were not associated with maternal bother. Families may benefit from additional support when experiencing increased night waking frequency and crying and settling durations in the first 9 months after discharge from NICU.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children11060655","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,28]],"date-time":"2024-05-28T05:19:49Z","timestamp":1716873589000},"page":"655","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Maternal Reports of Preterm and Sick Term Infants\u2019 Settling, Sleeping and Feeding in the 9 Months after Discharge from Neonatal Nursery: An Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Emma Shu Min","family":"Lim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julie","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatology Clinical Care Unit, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philip","family":"Vlaskovsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8763-3542","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Demelza J.","family":"Ireland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Donna T.","family":"Geddes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"},{"name":"ABREAST Network, Perth, WA 6000, Australia"},{"name":"UWA Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7727-7767","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sharon L.","family":"Perrella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"},{"name":"ABREAST Network, Perth, WA 6000, Australia"},{"name":"UWA Centre for Human Lactation Research and Translation, Perth, WA 6009, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2020.01.009","article-title":"Normal sleep development in infants: Findings from two large birth cohorts","volume":"69","author":"Paavonen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1002\/imhj.21374","article-title":"Sleep and attachment in preterm infants","volume":"34","author":"Schwichtenberg","year":"2013","journal-title":"Infant Ment. Health J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rudzik, A.E.F., and Ball, H.L. (2021). Biologically normal sleep in the mother-infant dyad. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 33.","DOI":"10.1002\/ajhb.23589"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1754.2007.01005.x","article-title":"Sleep problems in young infants and maternal mental and physical health","volume":"43","author":"Bayer","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Paediatr. Child Health"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101719","DOI":"10.1016\/j.infbeh.2022.101719","article-title":"Infant sleep and development: Concurrent and longitudinal relations during the first 8 months of life","volume":"67","author":"Pecora","year":"2022","journal-title":"Infant Behav. Dev."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.2147\/NSS.S125992","article-title":"Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: A narrative review","volume":"9","author":"Tham","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Sci. Sleep"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"651","DOI":"10.1177\/0033294120909447","article-title":"What is \u201cnormal\u201d infant sleep? Why we still do not know","volume":"124","author":"Barry","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychol. Rep."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smrv.2011.06.001","article-title":"Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: A systematic review of observational studies","volume":"16","author":"Galland","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sleep Med. Rev."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smrv.2010.08.003","article-title":"The consolidation of infants\u2019 nocturnal sleep across the first year of life","volume":"15","author":"Henderson","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sleep Med. Rev."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"771","DOI":"10.1038\/s41390-021-01497-4","article-title":"Early development of sleep and brain functional connectivity in term-born and preterm infants","volume":"91","author":"Uchitel","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pediatr. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang, Y.S., Paiva, T., Hsu, J.F., Kuo, M.C., and Guilleminault, C. (2014). Sleep and breathing in premature infants at 6 months post-natal age. BMC Pediatr., 14.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12887-014-0303-6"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"zsaa148","DOI":"10.1093\/sleep\/zsaa148","article-title":"Sleep-wake regulation in preterm and term infants","volume":"44","author":"Georgoulas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sleep"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Trickett, J., Hill, C., Austin, T., and Johnson, S. (2022). The impact of preterm birth on sleep through infancy, childhood and adolescence and its implications. Children, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/children9050626"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2022.03.019","article-title":"Associations of sleep-related behaviors and the sleep environment at infant age one month with sleep patterns in infants five months later","volume":"94","author":"Quante","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E147","DOI":"10.1111\/jpc.12089","article-title":"Breastfeeding and infant sleep patterns: An australian population study","volume":"49","author":"Galbally","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Paediatr. Child Health"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1007\/s10995-015-1798-7","article-title":"Exploring maternal perceptions of infant sleep and feeding method among mothers in the united kingdom: A qualitative focus group study","volume":"20","author":"Rudzik","year":"2016","journal-title":"Matern. Child Health J."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Suwaydi, M.A., Lai, C.T., Rea, A., Gridneva, Z., Perrella, S.L., Wlodek, M.E., and Geddes, D.T. (2023). Circadian variation in human milk hormones and macronutrients. Nutrients, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15173729"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.1016\/j.infbeh.2017.02.002","article-title":"Infant sleep problems and interventions: A review","volume":"47","author":"Field","year":"2017","journal-title":"Infant Behav. Dev."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"460","DOI":"10.1080\/02646838.2011.653961","article-title":"Infant and maternal factors associated with maternal perceptions of infant sleep problems","volume":"29","author":"Loutzenhiser","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Reprod. Infant Psychol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2369","DOI":"10.1002\/icd.2369","article-title":"Parents\u2019 perceptions of the quality of infant sleep behaviours and practices: A qualitative systematic review","volume":"32","author":"Zanetti","year":"2023","journal-title":"Infant Child Dev."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"260","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2022.11.020","article-title":"Sleep assessment in preterm infants: Use of actigraphy and aeeg","volume":"101","author":"Ulgen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01821.x","article-title":"The incidence of sleeping problems in preterm and fullterm infants discharged from neonatal special care units: An epidemiological longitudinal study","volume":"36","author":"Wolke","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2023.03.025","article-title":"Sensory processing and sleep characteristics in preterm infants in the early period of life","volume":"106","author":"Livanelioglu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1552-6909.2000.tb02034.x","article-title":"Differential effects of breast- and formula-feeding on preterm infants\u2019 sleep-wake patterns","volume":"29","author":"Thomas","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Obstet. Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/j.earlhumdev.2004.05.006","article-title":"Sleeping and waking state development in preterm infants","volume":"80","author":"Scher","year":"2004","journal-title":"Early Hum. Dev."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104839","DOI":"10.1016\/j.earlhumdev.2019.104839","article-title":"Needs and stressors of parents of term and near-term infants in the nicu: A systematic review with best practice guidelines","volume":"139","author":"Govindaswamy","year":"2019","journal-title":"Early Hum. Dev."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marthinsen, G.N., Helseth, S., and Fegran, L. (2018). Sleep and its relationship to health in parents of preterm infants: A scoping review. BMC Pediatr., 18.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12887-018-1320-7"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"573","DOI":"10.1002\/imhj.21788","article-title":"\u201cWeathering the storm\u201d: Mothers\u2019 and fathers\u2019 experiences of parenting a preterm infant","volume":"40","author":"Nixon","year":"2019","journal-title":"Infant Ment. Health J."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1089\/bfm.2011.0118","article-title":"Influences on breastfeeding outcomes for healthy term and preterm\/sick infants","volume":"7","author":"Perrella","year":"2012","journal-title":"Breastfeed. Med."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Perrella, S.L., Dix-Matthews, A., Williams, J., Rea, A., and Geddes, D.T. (2022). Breastfeeding and maternal perceptions of infant sleep, settle and cry patterns in the first 9 months. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192013098"},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Australian Bureau of Statistics (2023, July 03). Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, Available online: https:\/\/www.abs.gov.au\/ausstats\/abs@.nsf\/mf\/2033.0.55.001."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"734","DOI":"10.1177\/0884217503258459","article-title":"The breastfeeding self-efficacy scale: Psychometric assessment of the short form","volume":"32","author":"Dennis","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Obstet. Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"470","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1440-1754.2001.00703.x","article-title":"The sleep and settle questionnaire for parents of infants: Psychometric properties","volume":"37","author":"Matthey","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Paediatr. Child Health"},{"key":"ref_34","first-page":"680","article-title":"The crying baby","volume":"35","author":"Hiscock","year":"2006","journal-title":"Aust. Fam. Physician"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleep.2021.03.011","article-title":"Sleep patterns, problems, and ecology in young children born preterm and full-term and their mothers","volume":"81","author":"Lupini","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sleep Med."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"284","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1754.2007.01060.x","article-title":"Early infant crying and sleeping problems: A pilot study of impact on parental well-being and parent-endorsed strategies for management","volume":"43","author":"Smart","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Paediatr. Child Health"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e346","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2013-1886","article-title":"Preventing early infant sleep and crying problems and postnatal depression: A randomized trial","volume":"133","author":"Hiscock","year":"2014","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2012.07.006","article-title":"Eye of the beholder? Maternal mental health and the quality of infant sleep","volume":"79","author":"Goldberg","year":"2013","journal-title":"Soc. Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13363","DOI":"10.1111\/jsr.13363","article-title":"Unidirectional and bidirectional links between maternal depression symptoms and infant sleep problems","volume":"30","author":"Dias","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Sleep Res."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0000000000000899","article-title":"Parents\u2019 perceptions of infants\u2019 nighttime sleep patterns predict mothers\u2019 negativity: A longitudinal study","volume":"42","author":"Vertsberger","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1097\/00005721-200411000-00011","article-title":"Parenting the post-nicu premature infant","volume":"29","author":"Gennaro","year":"2004","journal-title":"MCN Am. J. Matern.\/Child. Nurs."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sleh.2021.11.004","article-title":"Sleep-related parenting self-efficacy and parent-reported sleep in young children: A dyadic analysis of parental actor and partner effects","volume":"8","author":"Werner","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sleep Health"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1177\/0890334415599533","article-title":"Breastfeeding self-efficacy: A critical review of available instruments","volume":"32","author":"Tuthill","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Hum. Lact."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adnc.2006.08.007","article-title":"A descriptive study of mothers\u2019 experiences feeding their preterm infants after discharge","volume":"6","author":"Reyna","year":"2006","journal-title":"Adv. Neonatal Care"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1186\/s13006-022-00486-5","article-title":"Self-efficacy in breastfeeding predicts how mothers perceive their preterm infant\u2019s state-regulation","volume":"17","author":"Rosenblad","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. Breastfeed. J."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1089\/bfm.2014.0121","article-title":"The experience of breastfeeding the late preterm infant: A qualitative study","volume":"10","author":"Kair","year":"2015","journal-title":"Breastfeed. Med."}],"container-title":["Children"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/11\/6\/655\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T14:49:26Z","timestamp":1760107766000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/11\/6\/655"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,28]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6]]}},"alternative-id":["children11060655"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/children11060655","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9067"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-9067","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,28]]}}}