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.
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