SynthesisInternational journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics2025
Impacts of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on pregnancy and birth outcomes: An umbrella review.
Synthesis in International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Intermittent Fasting During Pregnancy and Neonatal Birth Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Impacts of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on pregnancy and birth outcomes: An umbrella review.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2025Pooled it
- Sex-Specific Responses to Intermittent Fasting: A Narrative Review Across Physiological, Clinical, and Psychosocial Contexts.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Maternal Ramadan fasting and fetal cardiac function: subclinical hemodynamic alterations revealed by doppler evaluation.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Overdiagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus during Ramadan: a retrospective population-based study in Catalonia, Spain.BMC medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of Ramadan fasting during third trimester on Doppler indices, non-stress test of fetus and perinatal outcomes.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2025Article
- Chrononutrition behaviors during pregnancy: maternal nighttime eating increases the risk of preterm birth.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite a large number of primary research studies, and systematic and narrative reviews, there is no consensus on the impact of fasting during Ramadan while pregnant on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Currently, there is no evidence-based guideline for Muslim women regarding Ramadan fasting during pregnancy and clinicians cannot provide firm recommendations.
objectivesTo review the current evidence regarding the impact of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on pregnancy and birth outcomes. SEARCH STRATEGY: We conducted an umbrella review of all systematic and narrative reviews examining the impacts of fasting during Ramadan while pregnant on pregnancy and birth outcomes by searching PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Registry of Systematic Reviews databases between November 2023 and February 2024. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all systematic and narrative reviews examining the impacts of Ramadan fasting on pregnancy and birth outcomes. The primary outcome was the change in birth weight, gestational age at birth, fetal growth indices, and Apgar score as well as the risk of delivery by cesarean section and the risks of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We summarized the data using narrative synthesis and descriptive statistics as appropriate. This study was registered with PROSPERO, ID: CRD42023478819. MAIN
resultsOut of 943 published reports identified across all database searches, 13 systematic and narrative reviews were included, of which three were systematic reviews with meta-analysis, six were systematic reviews without meta-analysis, and the remaining four were narrative reviews. There is no sufficient evidence that Ramadan fasting during pregnancy may reduce gestational age at birth or increase the risk of preterm birth (PTB). There is little evidence to support the hypothesis that maternal Ramadan fasting may reduce birth weight or increase the risk of low birth weight (LBW). Systematic reviews showed pooled estimates of odds ratios ranging between 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-1.44) and 0.99 (95% CI 0.72-1.37) for PTB, and between 1.05 (95% CI 0.87-1.26) and 1.37 (95% CI 0.74-2.53) for LBW. There is no sufficient evidence that Ramadan fasting during pregnancy may increase the risk of delivery by cesarean section, gestational diabetes, or the risk of pre-eclampsia. None of the reviews reported evidence regarding the impacts of fasting during pregnancy on rare but clinically significant pregnancy and birth outcomes such as stillbirth, miscarriage, congenital anomalies, or neonatal deaths.
conclusionThere is little evidence that Ramadan fasting during pregnancy can negatively impact pregnancy and birth outcomes. Primary research studies on this issue suffered from significant methodologic limitations and systematic reviews showed significant heterogeneity for several pregnancy and birth outcomes. High-quality primary research studies that collect data on multiple confounders and effect modifiers are needed to investigate this issue and help reaching evidence-based recommendations.
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