Pregnant Women Sleeping on Back Risk Stillbirth

A University of Michigan study claims that pregnant that sleep on their backs (supine sleep) are at a higher risk of stillbirth

According to the report, sleeping in this position hikes the chances of low birth weight by a factor of 5.

This study was conducted on women in Ghana. Even a study conducted in New Zealand found a strong correlation between maternal supine sleep and stillbirth.

Out of every 1000 babies born in high income countries, 2-5 babies are stillborn. Whereas in low income countries such as in Africa, out of every 1000 babies, 20-50 are stillborn, according to the study published in the International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

"But if maternal sleep position does play a role in stillbirth, encouraging pregnant women everywhere not to sleep on their back is a simple approach that may improve pregnancy outcomes,"  study's senior author, Louise O'Brien, Ph.D., M.S., associate professor in U-M's Sleep Disorders Center, said in a press statement.

Sub-Saharan Africa tops the list in the world for highest rate of stillbirth. Not much is done to reduce the occurrence of stillbirth.

O'Brien emphasises on the need for low-priced interventions in order to improve pregnancy outcomes. The occurrence of stillbirth can be reduced by advising pregnant women to avoid sleeping on their back. And this would be a low cost initiative to reduce stillbirths in Ghana and other low income countries.

Supine sleep causes low birth weight and subsequent stillbirth is because of uterine compression on the lower vena cava that causes a reduction in cardiac output.

Just by altering the maternal sleep position the occurrence of more than one quarter of stillbirths can be avoided.