EARLY VERSUS DELAYED ORAL FEEDING IN PATIENTS AFTER CAESAREAN SECTION

Background and Objectives: Traditional approach where patients receive nothing per oral route till 24 hours or return of bowel functions (passage of flatus or motion), followed by slow advancement of feedof solid diet post operatively is now challenged however safety of early oral feeding is still controversial. The present study was designed to compare the effect of early oral feeding versus delayed oral feeding after uncomplicated caesarean section in terms of time to return to bowel movement, to regular diet,duration of intravenous fluids and hospital stay and post operative gastrointestinal effects. Methods: This study was done in department of Obstetrics Gynaecology, Shalamar Hospital from Jan 2013 to Dec, 2014. In this study 200 pregnant woman who underwent cesarean section were randomized in two groups, Group A (delayed oral feeding) and Group B (early oral feeding), oral feeding was started as traditionally after 24 hours in group A whereas after 6 hours post operatively in group B. Their demographic, operative and post operative data were collected and entered in especially designed proforma and analyzed by SPSS version 18. Results: The mean time to return to bowel movements in early feeding group was 6.13 hrs whereas in delayed group it was 9 29 hours. Time to regular diet in early feeding group was 11.39 hrs whereas in delayed feeding group it was 18.06 hrs. Mean duration of intravenous fluid was 7.86 hrs in early feeding group whereas it was 22.33 hours for delayed feeding group. There was no difference in the duration of hospital stay and post operative gastrointestinal effects between two groups. Conclusion: Early oral feeding group (6 hours after caesarean section) has shorter time to return to bowel movements, regular diet, duration of intravenous fluid as compared to delayed oral feeding group (24 hours after caesarean section). There is no difference in post operative gastrointestinal complications between the two groups.