The presence and severity of early pregnancy nausea and vomiting exerts a significant negative impact on a woman's health-related quality of life. Researchers from Canada assessed the physical and mental impact of nausea and vomiting among 367 women receiving prenatal care. The women were not more than 16 weeks pregnant at the time of their first prenatal visit. During the first three months of pregnancy, 78 percent of the women reported nausea and vomiting (about 52 percent mild, 45 percent moderate, and 3 percent severe). It was found that the average physical and mental quality of life measures were significantly lower among women reporting nausea and vomiting compared with women not experiencing these symptoms. The lower quality of life was also found among the women with more severe symptoms and those who used non-drug methods for nausea and vomiting relief. The findings suggest that it is important to treat early pregnancy nausea and vomiting soon. Therefore, further studies are required to evaluate the measures for early management of these symptoms
BJOG: an international journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
November 2008