The effects of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on fetal development: a general review.

Background: From a religious point of view, Ramadan fasting (RF) is not mandatory during pregnancy. However, some pregnant women insist to fast. Does this choice affect fetal development?

Aim: The objective of this general review was to determine the impact of RF on fetal development.

Methods: The search was conducted via the following databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences and Google Scholar from January 1st 2009 to December 31th 2018, using the following query: (« Ramadan « OR « Ramadan month « OR « fasting «) AND (« fetal development « OR « fetal growth « OR « fetal programming «) AND (pregnanc* OR gestat* OR pregnant wom*n). Articles published in English or French were included, and comparative studies on the impact of RF on fetal development in the group of pregnant women who fasted and the group who did not fast, regardless of the stage of gestation.

Results: Ten studies met the research criteria and all were case-control ones. Six studies were conducted in Turkey, two in Egypt, one in Iran and one in Pakistan. The RF coincided with the summer period in 8 studies. An obstetrical ultrasound with Doppler was performed on 1390 pregnant women at the beginning and end of Ramadan. Significant decreases in cephalic perimeter, biparietal diameter and femoral length were noted in a single study. A change in the amniotic fluid index was observed in two studies.

Conclusion: The RF practiced by healthy pregnant women has no negative impact on fetal development.