VOMITING IN PREGNANCY

Vomiting in pregnancy is an important symptom and may be encountered as follows:

Vomiting during first half of pregnancy:

(i) Vomiting due to pregnancy:

(a) Occasional vomiting with nausea in the morning is an aliment of normal pregnancy during second and third month. It does not affect the health of the woman and gradually passes off at the end of third month. Marked hormonal and metabolic changes associated with early pregnancy, are considered responsible for physiological nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

(b) Hypermesis gravidarum - this is pernicious vomiting of pregnancy which can be normal or rarely hydatidiform mole.

(ii) Vomiting due to causes associated with pregnancy viz. gastric ulcer, food poisoning, appendicitis, infective hepatitis and acute hepatic failure, intestinal obstruction, intestinal worms, pyelonephritis, hysteria, cerebral tumour, uraemia, twisted ovarian cyst, pedunculated fibroid or fibroid with red degeneration.

Vomiting during second half of pregnancy:

Vomiting may appear or get aggravated during this period as follows:

(i) Vomiting due to pregnancy:

(a) Slight vomiting of pregnancy, can very rarely extend even upto the second half of pregnancy in some cases.

(b) Severe pre-eclampsia, hydatidiform mole or acute hydramnios can cause vomiting.

(ii) Vomiting due to associated causes: This forms the important cause during the pregnancy period. The causes are medical, surgical, gynaecological as already mentioned above. Hiatus hernia, ketosis and acidosis in diabetes mellitus form important causes of vomiting during this period.