Cost Effectiveness of a Community-Delivered Consultation to Improve Infant Sleep Problems and Maternal Well-Being

Objectives: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of a community-delivered consultation aimed at improving infant sleep and maternal well-being.

Methods: A decision-analytic model was developed that compared the costs and benefits of an infant sleep consultation with usual care. The effectiveness of the consultation was based on clinical evidence, and improvements in maternal quality of life were estimated by mapping the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores to published utility scores. Cost effectiveness was calculated as the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained (QALY).

Results: The statistically significant improvements in mean Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores at 4- and 16-month follow-ups were used to estimate the benefit in terms of QALYs. The modeled results demonstrated that the infant sleep consultation is low-cost (A$ 436), more effective in terms of QALYs gained (0.017), and cost-effective. The estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was A$ 4031/QALY gained. The main drivers of the model were the use of early parenting centers and nurse training costs.

Conclusions: Community-based nurse-delivered infant sleep consultations aid infant sleep, improve maternal quality of life, and are cost-effective compared with usual care and lead to improvements in quality of life through a reduction in postnatal depression.