Determination of fundal height increase in fasting and non-fasting pregnant women during Ramadan.

asting, preventing of taking food and drink from the breaking of dawn to the setting of sun, is a specific religious practice that is obligatory to Muslims based on their actual physical capabilities. Old people, sick people, travelers in certain conditions, pregnant and nursing women when either their own or their fetus/neonate’s health is in danger are exempted from fasting, but must make it up as they are able.1 It has been observed that fasting during pregnancy has no harmful effect on the mother and her fetus, but still some pregnant women prevent from fasting because of the fear of probable harmful effects, while some others insist on fasting even in risky cases due to religious fanaticism. In taking any decision during pregnancy, the health of both mother and her fetus should be considered. In previous studies the effects of fasting on breast feeding and neonate birth weight,2 premature labor,3 metabolic changes and clinical symptoms before breakfast (Iftar)4 have been investigated and no harmful effect has been observed in these cases. The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the effects of fasting on intrauterine growth by comparing 2 groups of fasting and non-fasting pregnant women (20-31 weeks) and also comparing the rate of growth in Ramadan with that in the preceding and following months. One of the basic and reliable criterions for the evaluation of intrauterine growth is the serial measuring of fundal height at the monthly prenatal check-up.5 According to some researchers, fundal height in centimeters is equal to the weeks of gestation until the 34th week.5 In other words, up to the 34th week, fundal height increase obeys an arithmetical progression that is a 4 cm increase monthly. This case-control study was carried out on 101 pregnant women at the gestational age of 18th-28th weeks referred to Kerman private prenatal care clinics in 2001. Two groups were selected and matched for age, socio-economic status and previous delivery complications. The case group consisted of 51 pregnant women who fasted at least 20 days during Ramadan and control group consisted of 50 non-fasting pregnant women. All subjects had 5 serial examinations every 4 weeks. Examinations were performed one month before Ramadan, at the beginning of Ramadan, at the end of Ramadan, one and 2 months after Ramadan. The Brief Communication