Bed Rest to Prevent Preterm Birth Both Ineffective and Harmful
Why aren’t doctors paying attention to their own research? Biggio thinks it may be fear of liability if a bad outcome were to occur and bed rest hadn’t been prescribed and the belief that bed rest is harmless. It isn’t, and this is known too. McCall, Grimes, and Lyerly quote from an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Practice Bulletin on managing preterm labor (ACOG 2012):
Although bed rest and hydration have been recommended to women with symptoms of preterm labor to prevent preterm delivery, these measures have not been shown to be effective for the prevention of preterm birth and should not be routinely recommended. Furthermore, the potential harm, including venous thromboembolism, bone demineralization, and deconditioning, and the negative effects such as loss of employment, should not be underestimated. [Emphasis mine.]
To this, McCall, Grimes, and Lyerly add adverse psychosocial effects on women and their families, including the potential for women blaming themselves when bed rest fails to avert preterm birth, and now Grobman et al’s study suggests the possibility of increasing the risk of preterm birth.
In the Reuters article, Grobman states that “any pregnant woman who is told to restrict her activity or stay in bed should discuss with her doctor whether there is data to support that recommendation given her condition.” Fair enough, but how is she supposed to know to do that? What role can or should childbirth educators and doulas play? What might Lamaze International or other childbirth-related organizations do to spread the word? What are your thoughts?