Early Oral Intake of Different Types of Diets Affecting Gastrointestinal Function During Postpartum Recovery After Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The percentage of cesarean deliveries is on the rise, accounting for 30-40% of all deliveries in Taiwan. Following a cesarean delivery, a few doctors in Taiwan still adheres to the progressive eating regimen of "nothing per mouth" for 24 hours or until the patient passes flatus or hears bowel sounds. However, a meta-analysis has shown that early oral intake (6-8 hours) significantly reduces the time required for the restoration of gastrointestinal function and hospital stay compared to delayed oral intake. Furthermore, early oral intake has not shown to increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal complications. While several food types have been adopted for early oral intake, no study has investigated the effect of different food types on clinical outcomes regarding gastrointestinal function and hospital stay for cesarean delivery. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of different food types on clinical outcomes for cesarean delivery through a randomized controlled trial. The subjects of this study are pregnant women who come to Chiayi Christian Hospital to schedule cesarean deliveries. They are randomly assigned to one of four groups: nothing by mouth, water, juice/sports drink, or chewing gum. The relevant clinical outcomes, such as time to first bowel sound or readiness for discharge, are recorded. One-way analysis of variance or Chi-square test is used to compare the differences among the four groups. Our expected results could provide valuable information on the type of food that could be used to improve the recovery of mothers after cesarean delivery and increase the quality of breastfeeding.