New study on sleep and baby

[dyscochick]

Hi Girls,
you'll probably see the news but there is a new study out today suggesting that if you sleep on the left the night before birth the chance of stillbirth is about half, compared to the right or on your back. If you read carefully it looks like the prefered side for many parameters is lying to the left. It may be to do with compression on the arteries but there is still very limited scientific understanding of what goes on, or evidence based advice. There are a lot of unanswered questions in the report and missing information.
For anyone with access to BMJ the editorial that accompanies the article is well worth a read. It doesn't say that we should all start sleeping on the left, but it is something I'll bear in mind if I am comfortable lying with a left tilt rather than right or flat as I get bigger. I can't post the article because I'll breach copyright but here is the link to it and the editorial

http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d3403
http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d3659.full.pdf

Its also interesting what the news stories don't report, that snoring and daytime sleepiness have NO relationship to stillbirth, for anyone fearing about reduced oxygen intake in snorers!
Be good to hear your thoughts girls

 

[TiffanyJaynexo]

I've heard about the left side theory before, I've been sleeping on my left side since I found out I was pregnant, it's comfortable for me but I like the odd sneaky right side nap.

Thanks for sharing xxx

 

[Emerald rose]

I dont see why they research things like this. Any mother who sleeps on her right side is going to panic she may harm her baby and those who have had a stillbirth may blame themselves.
Alot of women in my stillbirth support group are unhappy with this.
I sleep on my left but like most people i turn in the night i dont believe how i slept had any effect on my Liam. It was just ment to be.

 

[bearsmummy]

When I was giving birth they actually found that lying on my left side was doing more harm and slowed her heart beat down and I was told to get on my right straight away and was then asked if i'd followed the guideline to lie on my left and luckily I hadn't really!

 

[smokey08]

thats very interesting, i sleep on my left anyway, but thats amazing! x x x

 

[dyscochick]

Its really interesting to read your comments. Emerald rose there are sound scientific reasons for thinking that this may be a contributing factor and the research is not to blame anyone (that would be the last thing anyone would want) but to try and reduce the number of stillbirths and we all want that. It makes me wonder if people at risk (and I don't know if that can be defined) should be tested in some way. I'm just musing but bearsmummy's comments made me think that there may be differences in blood supply in different women and maybe a later scan could just check what happens to baby's heart beat if you tilt to the left or right. You can't help but think that if something this seemingly trivial can have a big impact (and the impact is relatively small depending on how you factor it) there would be more stillbirths. One of the issues with this study though is that it looks at too many parameters. The more things you investigate, the greater the likelihood that something will come up positive just by chance, then it gets picked up by the media and splashed around. All to be taken with a pinch of salt methinks.

 

[Emerald rose]

unfortunatly women that have had a stillbirth do tend to blame themselves and this research will make some blame themselves even more.

Research in to why the placenta fails or why if forms incorrectly would be more usefull.
Thankfully stillbirth is very rare

 

[TiffanyJaynexo]

Stillbirth is not preventable though.
It usually happens because of lack of oxygen to the baby during the birth or throughout the pregnancy due to placenta problems. xxx

 

[Sarah W Baby Belly]

When I got late into my last pregnancy I had to change my position regularly throughout the night. Never on my back but I changed from left to right all night.
If somebody had told me to only sleep on left I would have gone mad! My little boy is fine.
I don't think the person who wrote the article has ever been 8-9 months pregnant.

 

[Emerald rose]

No its not preventable but like i said its rare. My consultant and midwife told me that its down to the father so its just bad luck. As a mother to a stillborn angel i just dont agree with the research there doesnt seem to be alot of evidence to back it up but thats just me.
I hope this doesnt worry anyone.

 

[dyscochick]

Everything has to be taken in context and whats important is that this study looked at a range of parameters in much the same way as studies of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome identified risk factors such as smoking and supported practises like baby sleeping on its back at the base of the cot. As I said above this also has statistical down sides though. Sadly there are some reasons why angels won't make it, i'm not attributing it to the father is constructive either, never having been there I can only imagine the heart ache it causes. Nevertheless, everyone has different views on the priorities that should be given, but any well constructed research may contribute to understanding how risks can be reduced.

 

[Kerrykins]

Crikey I'm a major fidgeter so sleep in every position several times a night. I hope that may be a good thing. Suppose I won't be able to sleep on my front (my fave for nodding off) for much longer though.

 

[Froslass]

I'll sleep whatever way I find most comfortable normally...I think these studies are a waste of time - they just put fear into people imo x

But thats just my opinion x

I just think our bodies were made to carry babies, and most women don't have any problems with arteries and such being in the way. I understand why somthing so awful as stillbirth would merit investigation in order to try and prevent it, but I disagree with publishing half arsed studies, with no physical evidence and full of speculation - it even says theres still a lot we don't know about babies in-utero.

Thanks for sharing it though chick, it's def an interesting read

 

[Young Mum 21 x]

couldnt have put it better myself Flugel!!! x