Women who sleep on their right side or back during the late stages of pregnancy could be at higher risk of stillbirth. The risk doubles in the last three months compared with those sleeping on the left side, a study suggests. But experts stress a link has not been established, the overall risk is small and a mother-to-be’s sleeping position may result from the baby moving less in the days before dying. A study of more than 450 women – including 155 who had a stillborn – found the risk for those who went to sleep on their left side was 1.96 per 1,000 births. This figure rose to 3.93 per 1,000 for heavily pregnant women who slept in any other position, and was slightly higher for those lying on their backs. The women who had late stillbirths – after 28 weeks – were questioned about lifestyle, and compared with new mothers who had healthy pregnancies. Those who got up to go to the toilet once or less during the night before their baby died were also found to be more than twice as likely to experience a late stillbirth as those who got up more frequently. And women who regularly slept during the day in the previous month also has an increased risk of stillbirth. The findings held true even when factors such as age, smoking status, body mass index and social deprivation were taken into account, which have all been linked with a higher risk of the event. Researchers from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, suggest restricted blood flow to the baby may be a reason for the findings. Sleeping on the right side or on the back reduces blood flow through a major vein from the legs to the heart, which affects the supply to the womb. The researchers wrote online in the British Medical Journal: ‘If our findings are confirmed, promoting optimal sleep position in late pregnancy may have the potential to reduce the incidence of stillbirth.’ However, Dr Lucy Chappell, from the division of women’s health at King’s College London, pointed out that three-quarters of pregnant women sleep mostly on the left side – higher than the rate in women who are not pregnant. This may suggest they instinctively choose a sleeping position that works best for baby, she added. ‘It could be reverse causation, where the sleeping position changes because the baby is less active and kicking in the days before the stillbirth,’ she said. ‘We must think about other possible reasons for the association, which include bias in the things mentioned by mothers after stillbirth and chance.’ Sleeping position ‘would not prevent all stillbirths and women should not feel they are to blame’, she added. Janet Scott, of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society charity, said sleeping position could ‘play a part in wellbeing’. Afterall, she added, mothers-to-be are ‘encouraged to lie on their left for antenatal appointments’ to increase blood flow. But both experts called for further research. Around 4,000 babies are stillborn in the UK each year, including 1,200 after 28 weeks of pregnancy. Source: Daily mail