Pregnant? ‘Sleep On Your Left To Avoid Stillbirth’

MUMS-to-be who sleep on their right side or back in late pregnancy may increase the risk of stillbirth, say medics. They warned that the positions appear to exert greater pressure on blood vessels, limiting oxygen supply to the developing baby.

And that could trigger what is known as “late stillbirth” after 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Doctors have long been baffled by the causes of such tragedies, though factors such as obesity or the mum smoking are thought to play a role.

But medics based in maternity hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand, found women who slept on their back or right side the night before stillbirth were twice as likely to lose babies as those who snoozed on their left.

The team, whose study has been published in the British Medical Journal, looked at the pregnancies of almost 500 women. They said: “If our findings are confirmed, promoting optimal sleep position in late pregnancy may have the potential to reduce stillbirth.”

British expert Dr Lucy Chappell praised the study but called for urgent further research. Dr Chappell, of King’s College, London, said: “Any simple intervention that reduces the risk of stillbirth would be welcome.”

But others warned the study was inconclusive.