Adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To examine the influence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: Outcomes were compared for primigravidas with a current singleton gestation enrolled at <20 weeks’ gestation in a maternity risk screening and education program (n = 81 486). Patient-reported maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were compared for women with and without NVP and within the NVP group for those with and without poor weight gain.

Results: 6.4% of women reported NVP as a pregnancy complication. Women reporting NVP were more likely to be younger, obese, single and smoke. They had higher rates of preterm delivery, pregnancy-induced hypertension and low birth weight <2500 g. Almost one-quarter of women with NVP had lower than recommended weight gain. Poor weight gain was associated with a higher incidence of adverse outcomes. Obesity, tobacco use and poor pregnancy weight gain independently increased the odds of an adverse outcome.

Conclusion: NVP and subsequent poor weight gain may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

• Hyperemesis gravidarum
• nausea and vomiting of pregnancy
• obesity in pregnancy
• pregnancy outcomes
• pregnancy weight gain

Notes

*This paper contains work previously presented in two different posters: one at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine in Dallas, TX on 9 February 2012 as poster #136, and the other at the 60th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in San Diego, CA on 7 May 2012 as poster #61.