They don't call it labor for nothing. Delivering a baby can be exhausting work, lasting 10, 20 or more hours for some women. So how can moms-to-be keep up their strength? How about a fortifying snack of...ice chips?

After eating-for-two throughout pregnancy, women are often advised not to eat at all during labor. Does food help or hinder labor? Neither, according to a large study released last month, which found that women's deliveries were remarkably similar whether they snacked or fasted.

The study involved more than 2,400 healthy women in England who were having their first baby. They were randomly split into two groups. In one, women were advised to consume only water and ice chips during labor. In the other, women were encouraged to eat small, regular amounts of food, such as bread, cookies, fruits, low-fat yogurt and fruit juice.

Researchers found little difference between the groups in:

• How long labor lasted
• How often the women vomited
• Whether they needed C-sections
• Whether their deliveries were assisted with forceps or a vacuum

There were also no differences in the babies' overall condition at birth or their chance of being admitted to a special care unit.

These findings suggests that the fast-or-snack question is perhaps best left to the mom-to-be at the time of labor, assuming she is healthy and expected to have a normal delivery.

Read the rest of this post on our Health blog.

And see our report on safer childbirth for related information.