The Effect of Date Consumption in Late Pregnancy on the Onset of Labor in Nulliparous Women

One of the obstetric problems and the most common causes of induction of labor is prolonged pregnancy which increases cesarean rate in addition to maternal and fetal complications. According to studies، date consumption has a role in the onset and progression of labor. This study was done to determine the effect of date consumption in late pregnancy on the onset of labor in nulliparous women. This clinical trial was conducted on 210 nulliparous women age 18-35 who referred to Omolbanin hospital of Mashhad، Iran in 2013. The women were divided randomly into two groups of 105 patients، experimental and control groups. The experimental group consumed dates، 70 to 75 grams daily from the week 37 of pregnancy until labor pain and in control group، usual care was performed without dates consumption. Data were gathered by a questionnaire form، physical examination، observing and counting fetal movement and check list of date consumption. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version14)، chi-square test and t-test. P value less than 0. 05 was considered significant. The onset of labor and showed a significant difference in two groups and labor induction was significantly higher in control group than experimental group (p<0. 001). Mean of cervical dilatation on admission was significantly higher in experimental group than control group (p<0. 001). But the type of delivery was not significantly different between two groups (p<0. 2). The consumption of dates in late pregnancy increases spontaneous labor and as date is not contraindicated in pregnancy، it is recommended to consume in pregnant women in late pregnancy.