Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It is not common.
The cause is not known. There are many thoughts about what may cause it, such as:
The Brain May Be the Cause of NauseaCopyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. |
HG is more common in young pregnant women. It is also more common in pregnant women who are Asian or Black.
Other things that may raise the risk are:
Problems may be:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. Blood and urine tests may also be done.
Other tests may be:
The goal of treatment is to manage symptoms to prevent weight loss and dehydration. Choices are:
The risk of this problem may be lowered by taking prenatal vitamins for 1 month before becoming pregnant.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org
HER Foundation
http://www.helpher.org
The Canadian Women's Health Network
http://www.cwhn.ca
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
http://sogc.org
About hyperemesis gravidarum. HER Foundation website. Available at:
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Accessed November 24, 2020.
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Practice Bulletin 189: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 2018 Jan;131(1):e15.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/nausea-and-vomiting-in-pregnancy. Accessed November 24, 2020.
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Available at: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2018/01/nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy. Accessed November 24, 2020.
Last reviewed September 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Marcin Chwistek, MD