A study reported in Biological Research for Nursing has found bed rest may not be the best course of action for treating women with high risk pregnancies, read on….

How could bed rest ever be ‘bad rest’?

It will be news to some that an accepted way of treating women with high-risk pregnancies isn’t necessarily as helpful across the board as previously thought. New research shows to much bedrest with certain people can effect birthweight and lead to other complications.

Bed rest is a standard prescription for mothers-to-be with threatening prematurity of term and other complications. In some cases it still may be recommended but current research is seeking further trials to determine just when ‘lying down on the job’ is NOT helpful.

The biggest no-no seems to be that bed rest contributes to a woman’s weight loss in the later stages of pregnancy when putting on weight is so important. This is bad for mother and child and can result in a newborn with lower-than-ideal birthweight.

A study reported in Biological Research for Nursing also found

bed-resting mothers suffer from more aches and pains; headaches,

backaches, soreness, muscle shrinkage and also depression.

Researchists recommend further studies comparing high-risk pregnant mums who get about as usual with those resting up more in bed in order to determine when bed rest is advisable and when it isn’t.