The supine position () means lying horizontally, with the face and torso facing up, as opposed to the prone position, which is face down. When used in surgical procedures, it grants access to the peritoneal,

thoracic The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main ...

, and pericardial regions; as well as the head, neck, and extremities. Using

anatomical terms of location Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pr ...

, the dorsal side is down, and the ventral side is up, when supine.

Semi-supine

In scientific literature "semi-supine" commonly refers to positions where the upper body is tilted (at 45° or variations) and not completely horizontal.

Relation to sudden infant death syndrome

The decline in death due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is said to be attributable to having babies sleep in the supine position. The realization that infants sleeping face down, or in a prone position, had an increased mortality rate re-emerged into medical awareness at the end of the 1980s when two researchers, Susan Beal in Australia and Gus De Jonge in the Netherlands, independently noted the association. It is believed that in the prone position babies are more at risk to re-breathe their own

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

. Because of the immature state of their

central chemoreceptors A central chemoreceptor is a chemoreceptor sensitive to the pH of its environment. Central chemoreceptors are located on the ventrolateral medulla oblongata, medullary surface in vicinity of the exit of CN IX and CN X in the central nervous syste ...

, infants do not respond to the subsequent

respiratory acidosis The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants. The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies gr ...

that develops. Typical non-infants realize autonomic responses of increased rate and depth of respiration (

hyperventilation Hyperventilation is irregular breathing that occurs when the rate or tidal volume of breathing eliminates more carbon dioxide than the body can produce. This leads to hypocapnia, a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the blo ...

, yawning).

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder and is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction, obstruction of the respiratory tract#Upper respiratory tract, upper airway lea ...

(OSA) is a form of

sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...

that occurs more frequently when throat muscles relax and is most severe when individuals are sleeping in the supine position. Studies and evidence show that OSA related to sleeping in the supine position is related to the airway positioning, reduced lung volume, and the inability of

airway The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory ...

muscles to dilate enough to compensate as the airway collapses. With individuals who have OSA, many

health care providers A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, phys ...

encourage their

patients A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other healt ...

to avoid the supine position while asleep and sleep laterally or sleep with the head of their bed up in a 30- or 45-degree angle. Monday, 13 September 2021

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Supine Position Anatomy Human positions

Semi-supine

Relation to sudden infant death syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea

See also

References