Woman's Sleeping Position May Affect Stillbirth Risk

A British study suggests that women who sleep on their left side on the last night of pregnancy have less risk of giving birth to a stillborn child, reports the Guardian. The researchers were quick to say their study in the British Medical Journal is only the "starting point for future research" and not a definitive piece of medical advice. "It would be premature to jump up and down and say that everyone has got to sleep on their left," says the lead researcher.

In the study of 155 women, those who slept on their left side the night before giving birth had a risk of 1.96 per 1,000 births of having a stillborn child. Women who slept on their right side or on their back had a risk of 3.93 per 1,000 births. One theory: Sleeping on the left side allows improved blood flow to the fetus, notes HealthDay News. (More sleep stories.)