Sleeping on your back in pregnancy increases stillbirths
- There would be a 3.7% decrease in stillbirths if women slept on their sides
- Study was carried out in women during the final months of their pregnancy
- Past research shows babies’ heart rates are less active when women lie facing up
- The weight of foetuses may put pressure on blood vessels, restricting oxygen
- Experts say the results reveal a simple change women can make to lower the risk
Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter For Mailonline
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Pregnant women who sleep on their backs during their third trimester are more than twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth, according to the largest study of its kind.
There would be a 3.7 per cent decrease in stillbirths if all pregnant women in the UK slept on their sides during their final trimester, the study estimates.
Previous research reveals babies’ heart rates are less active when their mothers sleep on their backs, which may be due to the weight of the foetuses putting pressure on blood vessels and therefore restricting the infants’ oxygen supply.
Lead author Professor Alexander Heazell from Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, said: ‘Around 11 babies are stillborn every day in the UK. Parents want to know why their baby has died, whether it might happen again if they try for another baby and what they can do to avoid further stillbirth.’
Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), added: ‘This addition to current knowledge is very welcome.It is a simple change that can make a difference’.
Pregnant women who sleep on their backs are more than twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth
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How the research was carried out
The researchers analysed 1,024 women from 41 maternity units across the UK.
Of which, 291 suffered a stillbirth at 28 weeks or more into their pregnancy.
The remaining 733 were still pregnant at the time of the study.
All of the study’s participants completed a questionnaire that asked about their sleeping practices before they became pregnant, as well as four weeks and the night before completing the questionnaire or suffering a stillbirth.
Sleeping on back raises stillbirth risk by 2.3 times
Results reveal pregnant women who sleep on their backs during their third trimester are 2.3 times more likely to suffer a stillbirth the following day compared to those who nod off on their side.
There would be a 3.7 per cent decrease in stillbirths if all pregnant women in the UK slept on their side in the final months of pregnancy.
Stillbirths are also more likely to occur if women sleep less than 5.5 hours the night before, get up in the night to use the toilet or have a nap every day.
Sleeping on your back while pregnant does not influence a baby’s size or the length of a woman’s gestation.
The findings were published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
There would be a 3.7 per cent decrease in stillbirths if pregnant women slept on their sides
Babies are less active when their mothers sleep on their backs
Previous research reveals pregnant women’s sleeping positions have a significant effect on their babies’ heart rate variability.
When such women sleep on their backs, their babies are less active than when they nod off on their side.
If mothers-to-be change their position during sleep, for instance from lying on their left to their back, the baby quickly becomes ‘quieter’.
Professor Peter Stone from the University of Auckland said: ‘In the situation where the baby may not be healthy, such as those with poor growth, the baby may not tolerate the effect of maternal back-sleeping.’
Additional findings also show the weight of the baby when mothers sleep on their backs puts pressure on the blood vessels that feed the uterus, which restricts the infant’s oxygen supply.
‘It is a simple change that can make a difference’
Lead author Professor Alexander Heazell said: ‘Around 11 babies are stillborn every day in the UK. Stillbirth is devastating, with long-lasting effects on bereaved parents.
‘Parents want to know why their baby has died, whether it might happen again if they try for another baby and what they can do to avoid further stillbirth.’
Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the RCM, said: ‘Stillbirth is a terrible tragedy for mothers and their families and we must do all we can to bring stillbirth rates down.
‘This addition to current knowledge is very welcome. The Tommy’s campaign and the research findings are a great example of how through making small changes we can begin to bring down stillbirth rates.
‘It is a simple change that can make a difference and it will be important to ensure that this is communicated effectively to women.’
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