In plain words
Hyperemesis gravidarum, often shortened to HG, is the most severe end of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Most people with never reach this level. With HG, vomiting is frequent, food and fluids stay down poorly, and weight drops. Dehydration and low levels of salts in the blood can follow. Some people need IV fluids in a hospital. HG is more than an unpleasant symptom. It is not caused by anything a mother did wrong. It affects a small share of pregnancies, and published estimates vary with how the condition is defined. Its causes are not fully known. Researchers study hormones, including , and a growth-related protein called . Call your provider the same day if you cannot keep fluids down for a day, or if you feel faint when you stand up.
The deeper version
HG is defined clinically by persistent vomiting, weight loss of more than 5 percent of prepregnancy weight in commonly used criteria, electrolyte or acid-base disturbance, and (ACOG Practice Bulletin 189, 2018). Prevalence estimates range from under 1 to about 3 percent of pregnancies, depending on definition. Risk factors include multiple gestation, molar pregnancy, prior HG, and a history of motion sickness. Circulating GDF15 is strongly elevated and correlates with severity (Fejzo and colleagues, Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2019). Cohort studies link HG to depression and anxiety. Management is stepwise, from oral measures and antiemetic medication to hospital fluid replacement. The relative value of specific agents is contested, and trial evidence is limited.
Where it comes up
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
- Eating when nothing sounds goodPregnancy: Eating
- Cravings and food aversionsPregnancy: Eating
- Hyperemesis gravidarum: when sickness is severePregnancy: Your Body
- Weight gain in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about hyperemesis gravidarum
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Practice Bulletin 189: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy, 2018
- Fejzo MS et al. — Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2019