women’s diets have been restricted during labor without sufficient evidence to support the practice.

For years, women’s diets have been restricted during labor without sufficient evidence to support the practice. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, Ciardulli and colleagues did not find a single case of aspiration pneumonitis—the outcome on which the rationale for restricting diets during labor is based. A 2013 Cochrane review by Singata et al also found no harm in less-restrictive diets for low-risk women in labor. Ciardulli et al concluded that dietary restrictions for women at low risk for complications/surgery during labor are not justified based on current data.

See the research here.