The effect of early versus delayed postcaesarean feeding on women’s satisfaction: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of early versus delayed feeding after caesarean section on the woman's satisfaction. Randomised, controlled trial. Tertiary care hospital. Healthy pregnant women were enrolled for the study during antenatal care visits. Uncomplicated singleton pregnancies undergoing a planned or intrapartum caesarean section performed under regional anaesthesia were randomly assigned to either (1) a 'delayed feeding' group who started oral fluids 4 hours after surgery with diet introduced at 24 hours; or (2) an 'early feeding' group who were offered a regular diet within the first 8 hours. Primary outcome was the woman's satisfaction measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS) before their hospital discharge. The secondary outcomes were: pain, anorexia, abdominal distension, persistent nausea and/or vomiting, time to the first bowel movement and passage of flatus. Two hundred women were recruited, with 103 randomised to delayed feeding and 97 to early feeding. The woman's satisfaction (mean VAS +/- SD) was similar in both groups; 73 +/- 17 mm in the delayed feeding group and 77 +/- 13 mm in the early feeding group (P= 0.12). A statistically significant difference was observed in mean postoperative pain: 29 +/- 13 mm in the delayed feeding group versus 24 +/- 11 mm in the early feeding group (P= 0.008). No other significant differences in postoperative variables were recorded, and there were no major postoperative complications observed in either group. Early feeding after uncomplicated caesarean in low-risk women is equivalent in terms of the woman's satisfaction and the reduced perceived pain.