Women should sleep on their sides during the last 3 months of pregnancy to help avoid the risk of stillbirths, say midwives.
A study, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG), found that women who sleep on their backs had at least twice the risk of a stillbirth after the 28th week of pregnancy than those who sleep on their left side.
Experts say pregnant women may find themselves sleeping in a variety of positions during a single night but should try to start on their side. This is because research has shown that the position we go to sleep in is the one that we spend most time in while asleep.
They say women who wake up on their backs shouldn’t worry but should roll back on to their side.
Advice Could Prevent 130 Stillbirths a Year
The study predicts that late stillbirths in England would decrease by 3.7% if no expectant mother went to sleep on her back. It says this has the potential to save around 130 lives in the UK each year.
The findings are based on the Midlands and North of England Stillbirth Study (MiNESS).
The researchers interviewed 291 women who had a stillbirth and 733 women who later had a live born baby in 41 UK maternity units.
The mothers who had a stillbirth were interviewed as soon as practical after their baby died. Mothers who had a live birth were interviewed during their pregnancies at the same times in pregnancy as when the stillbirths occurred.
They did not include mothers of twins or those who gave birth to a baby with major abnormalities.
Risk Could Stem From Reduced Blood Flow
They found that mothers who went to sleep on their back had a 2.3-fold increased risk of late stillbirth compared to pregnant women who went to sleep on their left-hand side.
It also found that the link between going-to-sleep position and late stillbirth was not affected by the duration of pregnancy after 28 weeks, the size of the baby, or the mother’s weight.
Also, women who got up to go to the toilet once or more each night had a reduced risk of stillbirth.
The researchers say they are unable to conclude why sleep position is important for stillbirth risk. However, one theory is that in late pregnancy, the combined weight of the baby and the womb may compress blood vessels and restrict blood flow and oxygen to the foetus.
The research, which echoes findings from previous studies in Australia and New Zealand, was funded by 4 charities: Action Medical Research, Curekids, Sands, and Tommy’s.
‘A Simple Message’
Clea Harmer, CEO at Sands – the stillbirth and neonatal death charity – says in a statement: “We’re pleased we can now give pregnant women a simple message they can act on for a safer pregnancy: if you’re past 28 weeks of pregnancy, it’s safer for your baby if you go to sleep on your side rather than settling to sleep on your back.”
Tommy’s – an information service for parents-to-be – has launched a Sleep on Side campaign, which is endorsed by several leading medical bodies.
Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), says in a statement: “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.”
SOURCES:
Association between maternal sleep practices and late stillbirth – findings from a stillbirth case-control study, Heazell A et al, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG)
Sands
Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
Tommys
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