R. Lacroix et al., Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: A prospective study of its frequency, intensity, and patterns of change, AM J OBST G, 182(4), 2000, pp. 931-937
OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to provide a detailed description of patterns of
nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study was performed with 160 women who provided
daily recordings of frequency, duration, and severity of nausea and vomiti
ng.
RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of women reported nausea lasting a mean of 34
.6 days. "Morning sickness" occurred in only 1.8% of women, whereas 80% rep
orted nausea lasting all day. Only 50% of women were relieved by 14 weeks'
gestation; 90% had relief by week 22. Data based on the McGill Nausea Quest
ionnaire indicate that the nausea experienced by pregnant women is similar
in character and intensity to the nausea experienced by patients undergoing
cancer chemotherapy.
CONCLUSIONS: Traditional teachings about nausea and vomiting of pregnancy a
re contradicted by our findings. Standardized tools for measuring the distr
ibution, duration, and intensity of nausea are applicable to the study of n
ausea and vomiting of pregnancy and could be used in clinical trials to ass
ess palliative measures.