The only clinical benefit resulting from bed rest has been a modest decrease in blood pressure that does not translate to improved outcomes, Dr. Sciscione said. Additional risks of activity restriction include an increase in maternal anxiety and depression, significant financial impact on the family, physical deconditioning, bone loss, and a potential increase in blood clots. Being active in pregnancy, however, is linked to a decrease in preterm birth, he added.
The 2013 list
Among the previous five items included in the 2013 list are not scheduling elective, nonmedically indicated inductions of labor or cesarean deliveries before 39 weeks 0 days of gestational age and not scheduling elective, non-medically indicated labor inductions between 39 weeks 0 days and 41 weeks 0 days unless the cervix is favorable.
ACOG also recommended that asymptomatic women of average risk do not receive screenings for ovarian cancer, that patients with mild dysplasia for less than 2 years do not receive treatment, and that women aged 30-65 years do not receive routine annual cervical cytology screenings.