SUMMARY
Most pregnant women will experience some degree of nausea or vomiting during pregnancy.
Dietary and lifestyle interventions, along with appropriate drug treatment, can enable women to continue their everyday life and work with minimal disruption.
Clinical guidelines for therapy are available, and early treatment has been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms.
Pregnant women should be reassured that nausea and vomiting do not usually harm the fetus. Also, medicines used to treat this condition are not associated with an increased risk of birth defects, miscarriage, prematurity or other adverse outcomes in pregnancy.
Severe nausea and vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum) is associated with weight loss, dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities and may require hospitalisation.