Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms usually begin around week 4-6 and peak
between 9-13
weeks, however, some women report changes beginning just
a few days following conception. Early changes may include
changes in taste or smell perception, nausea, vomiting, and
excessive sleepiness. Often there is resolution or at
least significant improvement somewhere around 14-20 weeks,
though at least 10-20% of hyperemetic women will continue
to have significant nausea/vomiting until late pregnancy
or delivery.
Treatment (antiemetics, nutrition) should be
weaned very slowly after the mother is asymptomatic for
two or more weeks to prevent relapse or worsening of symptoms.
- Food aversions and intolerance
- Anorexia
- Dizziness/fainting
- Nausea/vomiting at sight/smell/thought of food
- Hypersensitive gag reflex
- Inability to remain in upright position
- Dehydration
- Pale, waxy, dry and sometimes yellow skin
- Hemorrhages in the retina
- Headache, confusion or lethargy
- Excessive salivation (sialorrhea or ptyalism)
- Vomiting, first of mucus, then of bile and finally of blood
- Constipation
- Gustatory hypersensitivity to texture
- Hyperolfaction
- Dysgeusia
- Dry, furry tongue
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Jaundice
- Pale, waxy, dry and sometimes yellow skin
- Body odor (from rapid fat loss & ketosis)
- Extreme fatigue/malaise
- Motion sickness
- Decreased gustatory (taste) discernment
- Headache, confusion or lethargy
- Sleep disturbance
- Anxiety (secondary)
- Irritability
- Tearfulness
- Depression (secondary)
- Excessive thirst
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- Postural hypotension
- Tachycardia
- Fever
- Ketonuria, ketonemia
- Neurological dysfunction
- Vitamin/electrolyte
deficiency
- Anemia
- Elevated liver enzymes
- Elevated serum amylase
- Rapid weight loss of
5% or more over pre pregnancy weight
- Gall
bladder dysfunction
- Dehydration/hypovolemia
- Oliguria
- Elevation of serum transaminase
- Hyperparathyroidism
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Adapted from: www.rarediseases.org
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Broussard CN, Richter JE.
Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 1998 Mar;27(1):123-51
Bianchi AL, Grelot L, Miller AD, King GL, eds. Mechanisms
and Control of Emesis. London, England: INSERM/ John Libbey
Eurotext Ltd; 1992:185-194.
Stander HJ. Textbook of obstetrics, designed for the use
of students and practitioners. New York, D. Appleton-Century
Co; 1945.
O'Grady JP, Cohen LM. Emesis and hyperemesis gravidarum.
IN Obstetric Syndromes & Conditions. O'Grady
JP and BurkmanRT, eds. New York: Parthenon Pub. Group; 1998.
Updated on:
Aug. 09, 2006 |
