Pregnancy and Sleep Position

Sleeping on your back late in pregnancy may increase the risk for adverse outcomes.

Researchers looked at data from nearly 30,000 pregnant women …32 weeks of gestation or greater … who were due to deliver. They identified 103 women who experienced stillbirth during the monitoring period…and compared them to 192 women in a control group. All completed detailed medical questionnaires and were interviewed in-person about clinical history and potential risk factors.

The results showed that nearly 10 percent of women who experienced stillbirth slept in a supine position…lying flat on their back… compared to just over 2 percent of women in the control group. Women who experienced stillbirth were also more likely to have been followed during pregnancy for suspected fetal growth restriction.

The researchers say these findings suggest supine sleep position may be an additional risk for late-pregnancy, especially in vulnerable cases and more research is needed.