Hyperemesis gravidarum

WHAT IS HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM AND HOW CAN IT BE TREATED

Hyperemesis gravidarum affects about 15 per cent of all pregnancies.

The condition is thought to be caused by elevated levels of ‘pregnancy hormone’ HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, which increases after conception.

It causes severe vomiting and can lead to dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine, called ketosis.

It is much more serious than the nausea commonly experienced by expectant mothers.

The severe dehydration puts both mother and baby at risk of being deprived of essential nutrients and sufferers can be left vomiting up to 30 times a day, with exhausting and hazardous consequences.

They cannot eat or drink without retching and may lose up to 10 per cent of their body weight when they are supposed to be gaining about 1lb a week.

It can trigger a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine known as ketosis as the body tries to compensate for lack of food.

Hyperemesis sufferers can also experience acid reflux, where stomach acid keeps repeating up the throat.

Hospital treatment for these women is essential, as without intravenous feeding and fluids they are at risk of becoming dangerously dehydrated.

Treatment typically includes an injection of the drug heparin to protect against blood clots triggered by dehydration, as well as supplementation of vitamin B, one of the vitamins most depleted by the condition.

An intravenous infusion of saline for rehydration is standard practice.

The condition can also affect the baby’s development and there is a risk it will be premature or have a very low birth weight. In severe cases, the sickness can trigger a miscarriage.