TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The labor and delivery unit at David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base is seeking healthy pregnant women with low risk of complications during delivery to take part in a research study to evaluate the impact of eating while in labor
The study, which began in October 2017, is the first to consider a military population and will help military hospitals provide pregnent women the best care possible, said Lt. Col. Dawn-Kimberly Hopkins, 60th Medical Group chief of clinical research.
“There are some studies that allow women to have protein drinks and carbohydrate drinks but no solid foods,” said Hopkins. “We want to investigate the effect of a solid-food option since women expend a lot of energy during labor.”
While women have long expressed the desire to eat and drink while in labor, current guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as the American Society of Anesthesiologists, restrict oral intake to clear liquids.
Women who give birth in birthing centers or at home have the option of eating solid foods, but those who deliver in military hospitals and in many U.S. hospitals are restricted to clear liquids.
“We know some women eat excessively before they come in, which can lead to increased nausea or vomiting during labor,” said Hopkins.
Also, over eating can over extend the stomach, putting a woman at risk of choking if doctors need to perform a cesarean delivery, she said.
To participate in the study, volunteers must be TRICARE beneficiaries ages 18 and older who plan to deliver at DGMC. Also, they must be at 37 weeks gestation or greater with only one baby developing in the uterus.
Women in the high-risk category will not be accepted. This includes those with a pre-pregnant body mass index over 40, diabetes, hypertension, allergies to foods offered in the study, women who previously had a C-section or a past history or current diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum – severe nausea and vomiting that causes weight loss and dehydration – or a difficult airway as determined by the anesthesia provider.
“We currently have 82 participants enrolled and our target is 200 for the study,” said Toni McNeary-Garvin, 60th MDG clinical research nurse.
Volunteers will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. At mealtime, those in active labor – meaning they have a cervical dilation of 6 centimeters or more – will receive either clear liquids such as broth, jello and juice or a low-fat, low-residue diet which includes a meat, starch, vegetable and beverage, according to Toni McNeary-Garvin.
Once the study is completed, the results will be disseminated to other Air Force medical treatment facilities and at a tri-service nursing scientific meeting, which focuses on evidence-based practices and research relative to military health care.
“We would like to have our results duplicated by other military facilities to validate our findings,” said Hopkins. “Once there are two to three sets of studies with consistent findings, we can then look into the feasibility of changing some clinical practices.”
For more information or to volunteer for the study, call McNeary-Garvin at 707-423-7733. Volunteers can also get more details at the labor and delivery open house Feb. 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.