Eating And Drinking During Labor: Queen's University Researcher Says Women Should Choose Main Category: Pregnancy

/ Obstetrics Article Date: 04 Feb 2010 - 0:00 PST The traditional practice of restricting food and fluids during labor does not provide any benefits, finds a new review co-authored by a Queen's University Associate Professor. "Based on our review, there is no convincing and current evidence to support restriction of fluids, and perhaps food, for women during labor. Women should be able to choose for themselves," says Dr. Joan Tranmer of the Queen's School of Nursing. Practitioners have been concerned about eating and drinking during labor since the 1940s. The restriction is thought to prevent Mendelson's syndrome (named after work by Dr. Carl Mendelson), a rare, but sometimes fatal, condition caused by regurgitation of acidic stomach contents into the lungs when a general anaesthetic is given. "With medical advances over the past 60 years, including the increase use of epidural anesthesia, we thought it was time to question the widespread ban on food and drink now that we are in the 2000s," says Professor Tranmer. "The use of general anesthesia during Csections is low. And even when used, the techniques have improved since the 1940s, so the risk of maternal death or illness is very, very low" There is tremendous variation in the practice of fluid and food restriction across birth settings (home births versus hospitals). "The food and fluid restriction can be stressful and uncomfortable for some pregnant women, especially for those who are in labor for more than 12 hours and unable to eat," , adds Professor Tranmer, who is based out of the Clinical Research Centre at Kingston General Hospital. "Instead of eating ice chips, a snack can provide some nourishment, comfort and much needed energy." The review findings co-authored by Mandissa Singata (University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa) and Gill Gyte (University of Liverpool in the U.K.) were published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent, not-for-profit healthcare organization. The authors' review looked at the data from five randomized trials that involved 3,130 women who were in active labor and with a low risk of requiring general anesthesia. Source: Michael Onesi Queen's University

SUMMARY: This journal is all about practice of fluid and food restriction across birth

REACTION: Granted that there is no concrete evidence that the woman will suffer from Mendelsons Syndrome, still we should consider the present condition of a woman in labor. Indeed, it is stressful and uncomfortable, especially to primigravida woman in-labor, being restricted from eating and drinking because she will be experiencing longer time of labor. Thus, snacks may be encouraged, not full meal. But some woman can not think of having a snack while in painful labor, I think drinks should be offered. In my experience, some institutions dont allow their patients in-labor to eat nor drink because they might overeat and defacate during delivery. For me, if that is only the reason of food and drinks restriction, then I will allow them to have a snack. We are nurses and we have to deliver quality nursing care. So I dont mind if my patient defacates during delivery. What matters most is the safety and convenience of my patients, the mother and the baby.

Submitted by: Joeben L. Disu 7-3 am shift MT group Submitted to: Ms Rowena B. Parayno, RN (Clinical Instructor)