Abstract â–¡ 137

This paper describes a study to the significance of cot death and preventive measures against cot death among nurses working in infant welfare centres within four regional home nursing services in Eastern-Brabant. In 1996 fifteen nurses were profoundly interviewed how they applicated preventive directives against coth death in practice. Because of the increasing attention paid to cot death over the last few years, nurses not only find themselves faced with the positive effects of prevention as aimed at by scientists. They also notice resistance against these measures and unintentional and undesirable effects. Therefore nurses not only provide parents with information on cot death and the preventive measures against it, but also with reassurance and guidance. Nurses consider it part of their professional responsibility to advise people on the prevention of cot death. It is their opinion that other professional health care authorities and the commerce tend to fail in these responsibilities. Conclusion: this investigation shows that there is an area of tension between the directives for prevention of cot death as given by scientists, and the execution of these directives in actual practice.