Introduction: The purpose of this study is to describe the recurrence risk for hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
Methods: Women who registered on a Web site sponsored by the Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation as having had one HG-complicated pregnancy were contacted to follow-up on a subsequent pregnancy. Participants completed an online survey.
Results: One hundred women responded. Fifty-seven had become pregnant again, 2 were trying to conceive, 37 were not willing to get pregnant again because of HG, and 4 did not have a second pregnancy for other reasons. Among the 57 women who responded that they had become pregnant again, 81% reported having severe nausea and vomiting in their second pregnancy. Among the women reporting recurrent HG, 98% reported losing weight and taking prescribed medication for HG, 83% reported treatment with intravenous fluids, 20% reported treatment with total parenteral nutrition or nasogastric tube feeding, and 48% reported hospitalization for HG.
Discussion: This study demonstrates both a high recurrence rate of HG and a large percentage of women who change reproductive plans because of their experiences with HG.
© 2011 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.