Does Prone Position alter Maternal Cardiorespiratory Status?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does Maternal Prone Position affect Maternal Cardiorespiratory Status or the Fetal Heart Rate?
IRAS ID
240071
Contact name
Alexander Heazell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
During pregnancy women may need or choose to undergo physical therapies such as physiotherapy, massage or osteopathy. Recent findings from studies of mothers who had a stillbirth in late pregnancy found that the position in which women went to sleep in was linked to stillbirth, as was the frequency of day time naps. This link is thought to be due to changes in mother’s blood flow from her heart when lying flat leading to changes in the amount of oxygen going to her baby. This raise concerns that spending extended periods laid flat could be detrimental to baby’s health.One small study of 33 women from Brazil found that there were no differences in a mother’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation or baby’s heart rate, but there were changes in mother’s breathing rate and systolic blood pressure when a mother laid on her front for 6 minutes. All the women reported feeling comfortable lying flat (on a bent surface).
We plan a study of 20 women who are over 28 weeks' gestation attending a tertiary maternity unit to assess whether maintaining a prone position for 30 minutes using a cushion for support (Anna cushion) would be associated with changes in mother’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and blood oxygen levels and baby’s heart rate. We will also ask about mother’s levels of comfort while she is laid in the prone position. The findings of this study will give an indication whether supporting a mother to lie in a prone position for physical therapies is safe and comfortable.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0261
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion