title: Long-term effects of antepartum bed rest on offspring.
abstract: We studied the children of mothers who were confined to bed during pregnancy for more than 15 consecutive days (mean 3.69 months) in the years 1986-1990 (bed rest offspring; BRO). We studied 86 children: 43 BRO and 43 control children. Data were obtained by means of a 20-item questionnaire filled in by the mothers. The BRO group differed from the control group in incidence of allergies (p = 0.005), motion sickness (p = 0.03), and need to be rocked to fall asleep (p = 0.01). More BRO born at term than controls played musical instruments later in life. Two possible explanations for more allergies among the BRO group are the use of beta-stimulating drugs against premature delivery and the effects of prolonged stress on the developing immune system. Understimulation of the developing vestibular system during gestation may affect some aspects of its development and may explain the higher incidence of motion sickness and need for vigorous rocking in BRO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Reproductive Medicine, University of Siena, Policlinico Le Scotte, viale Mario Bracci, IT-53100 Siena, Italy. bellieni@iol.it
authors.forename: Carlo Valerio
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bellieni
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bagnoli
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: Ninetta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caparelli
authors.forename: Duccio Maria
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cordelli
authors.forename: Bernardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melissa
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Buonocore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001510:Bed Rest / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D020920:Dyssomnias; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000453:epidemiology; D009068:Movement; D009146:Music; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires