The Inadequacy of Bed Rest
There are numerous reasons why a physician may prescribe bed rest. You can be fairly certain bed rest will be the verdict in the United States in the following circumstances: PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension), preeclampsia, eclampsia, placental complications, vaginal bleeding, premature labor, multiples … the list continues for possibilities. Your physician determines the need for bed rest and it varies from person to person, pregnancy to pregnancy.
One in five women in the United States will be prescribed some version of bed rest during her pregnancy. With numbers so high, have you ever wondered about the pros and cons, the why's and what if”s? Have you ever considered it may not be medically necessary to prescribe bed rest at such high rates? What about the down side to bed rest... depression, muscle atrophy, isolation, financial considerations, etc.?
I came across this topic as I read a wonderful opinion piece of writing, “Don't Take This Lying Down” by Sarah Bilston. She clearly defines the problem, the problem of bed rest, as it is not researched well enough and the negative effects are not treated, but rather seem to be ignored. In researching the topic further, I found of interest a statement on the World Health Organization's Reproductive Health Library “Bed rest should not be recommended routinely for hypertension in pregnancy, especially since, given the choice, women appear to prefer unrestricted activity.” This finding was given as a result of a scientific study conducted to determine the efficacy of bed rest on hypertension, one of the most common reasons for bed rest.
A 1994 article published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gyne... came to this conclusion: “Bed rest is used extensively to treat a wide variety of pregnancy conditions, at substantial cost but with little proof of effectiveness. We recommend that because this intervention has failed the test of effectiveness, its use during pregnancy should be curtailed unless randomized trials demonstrate improvement in a specific outcome.”
I would never advocate going against doctor's recommendations. I believe in listening carefully to our physician's advice. But perhaps this topic needs to be discussed more and researched further in the United States. In my opinion, the cost is too high to women and their families to ignore the possibility that bed rest may be overly prescribed.
What do the women in your community think? Do we as a society need to rethink bed rest? Why not link this post or take a poll and share your thoughts and findings here?
Additional reading:
Bed Rest May Not Be Helpful for Threatened Miscarriage
One in five women in the United States will be prescribed some version of bed rest during her pregnancy. With numbers so high, have you ever wondered about the pros and cons, the why's and what if”s? Have you ever considered it may not be medically necessary to prescribe bed rest at such high rates? What about the down side to bed rest... depression, muscle atrophy, isolation, financial considerations, etc.?
I came across this topic as I read a wonderful opinion piece of writing, “Don't Take This Lying Down” by Sarah Bilston. She clearly defines the problem, the problem of bed rest, as it is not researched well enough and the negative effects are not treated, but rather seem to be ignored. In researching the topic further, I found of interest a statement on the World Health Organization's Reproductive Health Library “Bed rest should not be recommended routinely for hypertension in pregnancy, especially since, given the choice, women appear to prefer unrestricted activity.” This finding was given as a result of a scientific study conducted to determine the efficacy of bed rest on hypertension, one of the most common reasons for bed rest.
A 1994 article published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gyne... came to this conclusion: “Bed rest is used extensively to treat a wide variety of pregnancy conditions, at substantial cost but with little proof of effectiveness. We recommend that because this intervention has failed the test of effectiveness, its use during pregnancy should be curtailed unless randomized trials demonstrate improvement in a specific outcome.”
I would never advocate going against doctor's recommendations. I believe in listening carefully to our physician's advice. But perhaps this topic needs to be discussed more and researched further in the United States. In my opinion, the cost is too high to women and their families to ignore the possibility that bed rest may be overly prescribed.
What do the women in your community think? Do we as a society need to rethink bed rest? Why not link this post or take a poll and share your thoughts and findings here?
Additional reading:
Bed Rest May Not Be Helpful for Threatened Miscarriage
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Tags: PIH, bed rest, bed rest during pregnancy, bedrest, pregnancy, pregnancy induced hypertension
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