Morning Sickness doesn't only occur in the morning. So why do we still call it that?
As many as 50% or more of pregnant women experience some degree of nausea or vomiting, often colloquially referred to as “morning sickness.”
For some, it is relatively mild, coming and going during the first trimester without much fuss. For others, it can be severe, life-changing and traumatic.
But the term “morning sickness” is a misnomer. Findings clearly show nausea and vomiting can occur throughout the day.
A recent study had monitored pregnant women each hour of the day across the first seven weeks of pregnancy showing peak symptoms occur in the morning and can be experienced in the late afternoon or night also.
The severe impacts of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
Up to 3.6% of pregnant women experience “Hyperemesis gravidarum” which means to have severe and persistent symptoms of nausea and vomiting making it difficult to eat and drink enough leading to weight loss, dehydration, and nutritional deficiencies. Its effects are psychosocial and emotional having impact on well-being, work, relationships, quality of life, experience of pregnancy, mental and physical health. Grievous and adversity may show termination of pregnancy and suicidal tendency.
The stigma women face
A recent Australian survey found one in four respondents reported being denied medications for treating nausea or Hyperemesis.
In the early 1900s, a journal study referred it to “hysteria“ and connected it to of being unhappy with their pregnancy, marriage or seeking attention.
In contract recent studies have argued nausea and vomiting in pregnancy serves a beneficial function to protect mothers and their unborn children from potentially harmful exposures these pregnancies are less likely to have a miscarriage.
How should nausea and vomiting in pregnancy be defined?
Guidelines often recommend using screening tools which classify individuals as having mild, moderate or severe nausea and vomiting based on responses to questions about their well-being in past 24 hours.
While tools like this can be useful to guide or monitor treatment, but treatment decisions not be based solely on this, rather on a comprehensive evaluation of an individual’s emotional, mental and physical health.
Time to retire the term ‘morning sickness’
A term that incorrectly describes the nature and spectrum of an illness can be expected to further perpetuate stigmas faced by those seeking clinical care.
This description is inaccurate, simplistic, and therefore unhelpful. May be referring to the illness by what it is nausea and vomiting in pregnancy or “NVP,” could reduce stigma and lead to better outcomes for sufferers.
Perhaps more important is recognition that not all nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is experienced equally, and treating it as such risks trivializing the experience of each individual.
