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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffMorning sickness is nausea that occurs during pregnancy. Morning sickness is a misnomer, however, since it can strike at any time of the day or night.
Morning sickness affects an estimated 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women. Morning sickness is most common during the first trimester, but for some women morning sickness lingers throughout pregnancy. Treatment isn't usually needed for morning sickness — although various home remedies, such as snacking throughout the day and sipping ginger ale, often help relieve nausea.
Rarely, morning sickness is so severe that it's classified as hyperemesis gravidarum. This type of morning sickness may require hospitalization and treatment with intravenous (IV) fluids and medications.
- Funai EF. Hyperemesis gravidarum and morning sickness. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 29, 2009.
- Hill CC, et al. Physiologic changes in pregnancy. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2008;88:391.
- Morning sickness. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp126.cfm. Accessed June 30, 2009.
- You and your baby: Prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/ab005.cfm. Accessed June 30, 2009.
- Holst L, et al. The use and the user of herbal remedies during pregnancy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2009;15:1.
- Goodwin TM. Hyperemesis gravidarum. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:401.
- Ginger. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Acupressure. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Mason MC. Pain relief to a point. Nursing Standard. 2008;22:22.
- Simon EP, et al. Medical hypnosis for hyperemesis gravidarum. Birth. 1999;26:248.
- Czeizel AE, et al. The effect of periconceptional multivitamin-mineral supplementation on vertigo, nausea and vomiting in the first trimester of pregnancy. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics. 1992;251:181.
- Emelianova S, et al. Prevalence and severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and effect of vitamin supplementation. Clinical and Investigative Medicine. 1999;22:106.
- Gill SK, et al. The effectiveness of discontinuing iron-containing prenatal multivitamins on reducing the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2009;29:13.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 9, 2008.
