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Experts want urgent research to see if the position a woman chooses to sleep in during late pregnancy affects still-birth risk, as a study suggests a link. The University of Aukland compared 155 women who had late still-births with 310 who had healthy pregnancies. Sleeping on the right side or back doubled, but only to almost four in 1,000, the risk of left-sided sleepers. Left-side lying aids blood flow to the baby, as the mother's major blood vessels are unimpeded by a heavy womb.
The New Zealand study, published in the British Medical Journal, called for larger studies to test the findings. Ms Daghni Rajasingam of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: "There are many factors which are linked to still-birth including obesity, increasing maternal age, ethnicity, congenital anomalies and placental conditions. A significant number are unexplained.
"This small-scale study looks at another possible factor. However, more research is needed into sleep patterns before any firm conclusions over sleeping positions can be made. "In the meantime, women should speak to their midwives if they are concerned." The UK has one of the highest still-birth rates in the developed world. Every year here 4,000 babies are still-born. A third of still-births have no clear cause.
Janet Scott, of the still-birth and neonatal-death charity Sands, said: "We would like to see further research into sleep in pregnancy encouraged and funded as a matter of urgency. "The study will require further validation before any widespread public health campaign could be justified. "Mums want to know what they can do to reduce the chance of this happening to their baby. "A simple message which mums could follow, which would reduce their risk of still-birth, would be very welcome."
BBC News - Sleep position during pregnancy 'link to still-birth'
The report card shows the prematurity rates across the states and in several major cities. Babies born too soon, before 37 weeks in the womb, can face serious, lifelong health problems if they survive. They can include breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays. In addition, prematurity is the leading cause of infant death worldwide. About 15 million babies across the globe are born prematurely, and about a million of them die. The overall rate of prematurity in the U.S. has dropped by nearly three percent since 2010, according to the March of Dimes' report. In 2010, it stood at 12.3 percent. In 2014, the rate dropped to 9.6 percent in 2014.
'Progress is not victory'
In a Skype interview, Dr. Edward McCabe, the chief medical officer of the March of Dimes said, "Even though the country has made progress, progress is not victory, and we still rate among the worst among the high resource countries in the world." McCabe said the prematurity rate for some parts of the U.S. is higher than in some developing countries. For example, a baby born in Shreveport, Louisiana, has a nearly 20 percent chance of being born prematurely compared to a 12 percent chance in some of the poorest nations of the world.
Other findings show that Portland, Oregon, has the lowest preterm birth rate of the top 100 U.S. cities. With respect to the states, those with the highest rates of prematurity include Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, also is among the worst. Those with the lowest rates include Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Vermont. McCabe said there is a reason why the March of Dimes graded cities and states in this year's report.
'Work strategically'
