Sydney, Feb 3 (IANS) The traditional practice of restricting food and fluids during labour does not seem to benefit women.

'Based on our review, there is no convincing and current evidence to support restriction of fluids, and perhaps food, for women during labour,' says Joan Tranmer, associate professor at the Queen's School of Nursing.

The restriction is thought to prevent Mendelson's syndrome (named after Carl Mendelson), a rare, but sometimes fatal, condition caused by regurgitation of acidic stomach contents into the lungs when a general anaesthetic is given.

'With medical advances over the past 60 years, including the increase use of epidural (spinal) anaesthesia, we thought it was time to question the widespread ban on food and drink now that we are in the 2000s,' says Tranmer.

'The use of general anaesthesia during Caesarean (C)-sections is low. And even when used, the techniques have improved since the 1940s, so the risk of maternal death or illness is very, very low,' she said, according to a Queen's release.

'The food and fluid restriction can be stressful and uncomfortable for some pregnant women, especially for those who are in labour for more than 12 hours and unable to eat,' adds Tranmer, who is based out of the Clinical Research Centre at Kingston General Hospital.