For Immediate Release -- May 20, 2008
Contact: Rebecca Jacob
Office: (240) 485-1822
Email: <mailto:rjacob%40acnm.org> [log in to unmask]
On the web:
<http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/news/ACNM_Clinical_Guidelines_on_Nutrition
_in_Labor.pdf>
http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/news/ACNM_Clinical_Guidelines_on_Nutrition_
in_Labor.pdf
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NURSE-MIDWIVES PUBLISHES CLINICAL GUIDELINES FOR ORAL
NUTRITION DURING LABOR
SILVER SPRING, MD - The newest Clinical Bulletin from the American College
of Nurse-Midwives reviews evidence relevant to providing oral nutrition to
women in labor and concludes that drinking and eating during labor can
provide women with the energy they need and should not be routinely
restricted.
Currently, most U.S. hospitals have policies that restrict women's oral
intake during labor. The debate over these policies is focused on the
concern about possible detrimental effects of fasting on the labor process
versus the risk of aspiration if general anesthesia is administered
following oral intake. This Clinical Bulletin reviews energy utilization
during labor, the effects of fasting during labor, recent randomized
controlled trials that have evaluated the effects of food and fluids in
labor, the rationale used to deny laboring women food and fluids, and the
risks of aspiration if general anesthesia is administered.
"It is important that we don't unnecessarily restrict a women's ability to
eat or drink during labor," said Deborah Anderson, CNM, Associate Clinical
Professor from the University of California, San Francisco. "In addition to
providing hydration, nutrition, and comfort, self-regulating intake
decreases a women's stress level and provides her with a feeling of
control."
Considerations for the determination of appropriate nutrition in labor must
take into account the health status of the woman, the risk of surgical
intervention, and the system in which the women gives birth. Additional
recommendations from the Clinical Bulletin include:
. During antepartum care, discuss with women the very small but
potentially serious risk of aspiration if general anesthesia is used.
. Promote self-determination by healthy women experiencing normal
labors concerning oral intake.
. Evaluate all women who are at increased risk for operative birth
for factors that could result in difficult intubation or aspiration.
. Continue to participate in research to confirm the safety of ad lib
nutrition for normal laboring women.
About Clinical Bulletins
Clinical Bulletins are developed under the direction of the Clinical
Practice Section of the Division of Standards and Practice of the American
College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) as an educational aid to members of the
ACNM. Clinical Bulletins are published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's
Health. They can be viewed and purchased at www.jmwh.com.
###
For more information, please contact Rebecca Jacob, ACNM Communications
Manager at (240) 485-1822 or via email at <mailto:rjacob%40acnm.org>
[log in to unmask]
With roots dating to 1929, the American College of Nurse-Midwives is the
oldest women's health care association in the U.S. ACNM's mission is to
promote the health and well-being of women and newborns within their
families and communities through the development and support of the
profession of midwifery as practiced by certified nurse-midwives and
certified midwives. Midwives believe every individual has the right to
safe, satisfying health care with respect for human dignity and cultural
variations. More information about ACNM can be found at www.midwife.org.
8403 Colesville Road, Ste. 1550, Silver Spring, MD 20910-6374 . Phone: (240)
485-1800 . Fax: (240) 485-1818 . www.midwife.org
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