University of Utah Health says that a study about sleep position and stillbirth is stoking unfounded fears.
The research methods employed in the study are one cause of concern. Most of the data is self -reported after the fact by mothers with stillborn children. On average they were interviewed 25 days after the stillbirth occurred. “It is very possible these women were not accurately reporting their sleep habits,” said Karen Gibbins, MD, another maternal fetal specialist. “They also may be looking for answers as to why their babies were stillborn. They may have turned to the internet and seen speculation that supine (back) sleep might be associated with stillbirth.”
