ORAL INTAKE POLICIES ON LABOR AND DELIVERY - A NATIONAL SURVEY

Study Objective: To examine current policies on oral intake during lab or among hospitals throughout the United States. Design and Setting: A nonymous questionnaire survey distributed to the directors of anesthes ia and obstetrics departments of 740 hospitals. Completed surveys were then grouped by number of deliveries performed each year. Measurement s and Main Results: A total of 2,265 surveys were distributed. Of that number, 902 (33% response rate) surveys, representing 740 U.S. hospit als, were returned. Of the surveys returned 419 surveys were received from obstetricians and 401 surveys were received from anesthesiologist s. Oral intake during Labor is limited primarily to clear liquids, alt hough hospitals with fewer deliveries allow significantly more oral in take during latent phase than do hospitals with larger services. Allow ing nonclear liquids or solid foods is uncommon in either phase of lab or, regardless of hospital size. Conclusions: The results give an indi cation of oral intake policies used by labor and delivery units in the United States, and they may be helpful for obstetric services that ar e in the process of developing their own policies. (C) 1998 by Elsevie r Science Inc.