2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Improving Quantification and Analysis for Biomechanics of Bedsharing Study

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Erin Mannen, Dr. Kryan Quinlan, and Dr. Gina Lowell

Abstract

There are approximately 3,500 Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) per year, ~60% of these incidents occurred while caregiver-infant dyads shared a sleep surface [1]. The overall objective of this study is to analyze biomechanical risks associated with the at-home bedsharing environment, including factors which may facilitate infant rolling and increase airway risk. To accomplish this, we utilized video recordings of caregiver-infant dyads during sleep in their home environment. Movement events and sleep postures were quantified by reviewing these recordings and using pre-determined data quantification rules. The purpose of this project was to improve organization of marked data from these recordings in order to make future analysis more efficient. . The previous methodology included reviewing videos in full, marking movement events, labeling head and body sleep postures, and tracking total caregiver-infant contact time. Movement was quantified based on magnitude rather than duration, and a minimum of ten seconds was required to classify a change in sleep posture. Movement events that did not result in variance or change in sleep position were not included in posture data. In addition, the data organization process was refined through a restructured spreadsheet, improving consistency and clarity of the dataset. This improved structure allows for more reliable interpretation of positioning patterns and comparison across collections. Overall, this work provides a more structured and repeatable approach to analyzing caregiver–infant bedsharing behavior.

[1] Erck Lambert AB, Shapiro-Mendoza CK, Parks SE, et al. Pediatrics (2024) 153 (3):e2023061984.

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