Vomiting is a symptom which may be related to pregnancy or may be a manifestation of some medical-surgical-gynaecological complications which can occur at any time during pregnancy. The vomiting is most of the time related to the pregnant state and is classified as simple vomiting of pregnancy (milder type) and hyperemesis gravidarum (severe type).
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe type of vomiting of pregnancy which has got deleterious effect on the health of the mother and incapacitates her in day to day activities. There has been marked fall in the incidence during the last 30 years. Now the incidence is less than one in 1000 pregnancies. The reasons are better application of family planning knowledge which reduces the number of unplanned pregnancies, early visit to the antenatal clinic and the availability of potent antihistaminic and antiemetic drugs.