ACNM Recommends Against Routinely Restricting Food & Drink During Labor

The American College of Nurse-Midwives has published a new Clinical Bulletin reviewing evidence on providing oral nutrition to women during labor. The guidelines recommend that drinking and eating during labor can provide women with the energy they need, and should not be routinely restricted. Currently, most American hospitals still have policies in place that restrict women’s oral intake during labor, and the debate over these policies has focused on concerns about possible detrimental effects of fasting on the labor process versus the risk of aspiration if general anesthesia becomes necessary. The new ACNM bulletin reviews recent randomized controlled trials, effects of fasting during labor, and risks of aspiration. They recommend that considerations must take into account the health status of the woman, the risk of surgical intervention and the system in which the woman is giving birth. To download the complete bulletin, go to http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/news/ACNM_Clinical_Guidelines_on_Nutrition_in_Labor.pdf