No Need for Most Moms to Fast During Labor

Another expired shelf life.

Although conventional wisdom has long held that women shouldn't eat or drink during labor, the scientific evidence suggests there's no reason for the prohibition, according to a new meta-analysis.
"Since the evidence shows no benefits or harms, there is no justification for the restriction of fluids and food in labor for women at low risk of complications," Mandisa Singata, MBA, RM, RN, of the University of the Witwatersrand in East London, South Africa, and colleagues concluded in a Cochrane review.

They identified five studies involving 3,130 women that examined whether food and drink during labor affected outcomes such as rates of cesarean section, operative vaginal births, or Apgar scores. No significant advantage was found for restricting access to food or liquids on any outcome, Singata and colleagues found.

Until the 1940s, women were generally encouraged to eat and drink during labor -- often specific foods and fluids -- to keep up their strength.

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