Impact of Medjool Date Consumption on Labor and Delivery Outcomes

The proposed Medjool date randomized trial will help inform clinical practice regarding the utility of Medjool date consumption for labor onset by comparing the incidence of spontaneous labor with the need for labor induction in patients who have been randomized to consume Medjool dates from 34 weeks gestation through the day after delivery day. The study will secondarily investigate the relationship between date consumption and other important labor and delivery outcomes such as length of labor, need for oxytocin, dose of oxytocin and quantitative blood loss at delivery. This study will also explore the association between Medjool date consumption, perinatal hemoglobin levels, and perinatal diet quality. Assessing dietary intake is an essential component of this study to better understand the relationship between medjool date consumption and pregnancy/labor outcomes by controlling for it as a potential confounding factor. Furthermore, assessing dietary intake will provide insight on the impact medjool date consumption has on overall maternal diet quality.