Date with destiny: could this sweet fruit kickstart labor?
NCT ID NCT07058792
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether eating Medjool dates from 34 weeks of pregnancy through delivery can increase the chance of labor starting on its own, reducing the need for medical induction. Researchers will track 250 pregnant women at Cleveland Clinic to see if date consumption affects labor length, need for oxytocin, and blood loss. It's a simple dietary intervention with no known risks, but the results are preliminary.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Medjool dates
- What this could lead to
- If it works, eating dates could be a simple, natural way to help labor start on its own and reduce the need for medical induction.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with 250 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect may be small or no different from a placebo.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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200 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Finished
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May 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Singleton pregnancy less than 36weeks 0 days gestational age * Age ≥18 years old * Has decision-making capacity and able to provide informed consent for research participation * Able to speak, read and understand English * Planned delivery at a Cleveland Clinic Institution Exclusion Criteria: * Pre-existing medical co-morbidities including hypertension, kidney disease, autoimmune conditions, diabetes * Comorbidities of pregnancy including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes * Abnormal genetic (aneuploidy) screening or diagnostic testing * Patients with pregnancies complicated by major fetal anomalies * Multifetal gestation * Delivery at an outside institution * Incomplete delivery data * Planned cesarean delivery * Planned induction of labor prior to 41 weeks
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States