Pineapple in pregnancy and labor outcomes in Nigeria
What it found
In a study of 2400 pregnant women in Nigeria, those who ate pineapple in the third trimester had higher cervical ripening scores, shorter labor, and more spontaneous vaginal deliveries.
Their babies' health measures were about the same as those of non-eaters.
What they found
Studies in people
Cervical ripening
Women who ate pineapple had a higher average Bishop score at admission (6.2) than those who did not (5.4). After adjusting for other factors, the difference was 0.8 points.
Labor duration
Labor lasted about 8.5 hours on average in the pineapple group and 10.2 hours in the non-pineapple group. After adjustment, pineapple consumption was linked to a 1.7-hour shorter labor.
Mode of delivery
Spontaneous vaginal delivery happened in 65% of pineapple eaters and 50% of non-eaters. Cesarean sections were less common in the pineapple group (20% vs 30%).
Neonatal outcomes
Birth weight, Apgar scores, and NICU admissions were similar between the two groups.
Dose response
Women who ate more pineapple had shorter labors and higher rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery.
What the authors conclude
“These findings support further investigation of dietary influences on labor outcomes.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the findings support further investigation of dietary influences on labor outcomes.
- They call for large-scale randomized controlled trials to confirm the relationship and establish optimal dosage and timing.
- They advise caution in endorsing pineapple as a standard clinical practice until more evidence is available.
How it was done
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that some people believe helps ripen the cervix and start labor. The authors wanted to see whether pineapple consumption was linked to labor outcomes in a large group of Nigerian women.
They looked back at medical records and dietary questionnaires from 2400 pregnant women aged 18 to 45 who gave birth in Nigerian hospitals between 2018 and 2023. Half had reported eating pineapple regularly in the third trimester and half had not.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a retrospective study, so it can show links but cannot prove that pineapple causes these outcomes.
- The study relied on women's reports of what they ate, which may not be perfectly accurate.
- The results may not apply to places with different diets or healthcare systems.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.
- Authors work at
- Federal University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria; Igbinedion University, Nigeria; Imo State University, Nigeria
The paper
- Title
- The impact of pineapple consumption on cervical ripening and labor outcomes: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study among pregnant women in Nigeria
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Elendu C, Amaechi DC, Elendu TC, et al (2026). The impact of pineapple consumption on cervical ripening and labor outcomes: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study among pregnant women in Nigeria. Medicine. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000048335Free full textPubMed 41995499DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error