EFFECT OF EARLY AND DELAYED ORAL FEEDING ON EARLY AMBULATION OF PATIENTS AFTER CESAREAN SECTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Introduction: Because the majority of cesarean surgery is performed under regional anesthesia, some studies suggest that women can receive their usual diet as early as 4–8 hours after surgery and oral intake commenced within the first few hours after cesarean section. The aim of this study was to compare early post-operative oral feeding at 6    hours with delayed post-operative oral feeding at 12 hours after cesarean sections in primigravida in terms of early ambulation.

Materials & Methods: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad from    March to August 2015. A total of 112 pregnant females who underwent a Cesarean delivery were included in the study; they were divided randomly into two groups of 56 each.         Those who had been allowed to take oral food 6hrs after surgery were placed in Group A and those who were allowed oral food after 12 hours were put in Group B.

Results: Out of these 112 patients, early ambulation was noted in 53 (52.48%) patients. When outcome measure was stratified according to age of patients, the results were insignificant (p= 0.07), but were significant when it was stratified according to the feeding group (p = 0.04).

Conclusion: This study showed that early oral feeding after Cesarean section results in early ambulation among patients. (p=0.04).

Keywords: Gestation, Pregnancy, Cesarean section, morbidity, mortality, ambulation.