‘Sleeping on your back doubles risk of stillbirth’

WOMEN who sleep on their back i n the l ast three months of pregnancy are more than twice as likely to suffer a stillbirth, researchers have warned.

A study of more than 1,000 pregnant women found a 2.3fold increase in the risk of late stillbirth among those who slept on their backs.

The authors, from St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, said there would be a decrease in stillbirths if all women went to sleep on their sides in the final trimester.

The stillbirth charity Tommy’s, which f unded t he r esearch, advised women to sleep on their sides – but not to be concerned if they wake up on their back as the position at falling asleep is usually held longest during the night.

Should they wake in the middle of the night they should roll on to their sides before going back to sleep, the charity said.

The researchers, whose work is published in the British Journal Of Obstetrics And Gynaecology, think stillbirths could be prevented if basic advice is followed.

Study leader Professor Alexander Heazell, clinical director at the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre at St Mary’s, said: ‘Parents [of stillborn children] 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.’

Many pregnant women find lying on their back uncomfortable – but roughly 10% still sleep on their backs at night. Scientists are unsure exactly why this is dangerous, but believe it may block blood flow to the baby or affect the mother’s breathing.

In most cases, the cause of a stillbirth is unknown, but many are caused by problems with the placenta – the lifeline providing the baby with oxygen and nourishment as it grows in the womb.

Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at Britain’s Royal Coll ege of Midwives, said of the researchers’ work: ‘‘This addition to current knowledge is very welcome... It is a simple change that can make a difference.’

‘Simple change can make a difference’