New Survey Debunks Myth of "Morning Sickness": Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP) Happens throughout the Day

ROSEMONT, Pa., May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey released today finds that the term "morning sickness" may not be doing the condition justice as eight in 10 women suffering from nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) experience it for 2-6 hours per day, often in the afternoon or evening. NVP, also known as morning sickness, is the most common pregnancy symptom, affecting 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women.¹

The national survey of 621 currently or recently pregnant women, conducted by National Analysts Worldwide and supported by Duchesnay USA, found that everyday activities, as well as their quality of life, are significantly impacted by NVP. Seven in 10 women say they experienced symptoms classified as moderate to severe on a scale specifically developed by medical researchers to measure NVP symptoms.² 

The survey measured a range of effects, from potential health issues and quality of life to economic and career impact. Of the 47 percent of women who missed worked due to their NVP symptoms, nearly 74 percent missed at least three days; a similar proportion (75 percent) experienced decreased productivity; and 47 percent reported concerns about negative career impact.

Duchesnay USA and March of Dimes are working together to help educate women about the effects NVP can have on pregnant women. To provide access to information on NVP that can help women manage their symptoms, Duchesnay USA has launched www.MorningsicknessUSA.com – a comprehensive NVP resource that includes recipes, lifestyle management ideas and articles by experts. 

"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy affects millions of pregnant women annually," said Janis Biermann, senior vice president of Education and Health Promotion for the March of Dimes. "And women who can't get relief often turn to friends and colleagues for advice and home remedies, as well as to online message boards. MorningsicknessUSA.com provides that robust resource they've been looking for, offering lifestyle management tips as well as tools to help them understand the severity of their NVP."

Often seen as a "rite of passage" for pregnant women, many women in the survey failed to seek help from healthcare professionals for their NVP symptoms, despite significant negative impact on their lives. This caused one in five women surveyed to be treated in the hospital for their NVP symptoms, typically in the ER, with one in four who did seek hospital care being admitted overnight.

Many women also reported that NVP had a negative impact on important activities in their daily lives, including the ability to care for themselves and others who rely on them. For example:

• Almost half (46 percent) found that NVP adversely affected their ability to care for other children or others dependent on them
• 71 percent reported a negative effect on their ability to perform household chores like cooking, cleaning and laundry
• 54 percent reported difficulty taking prenatal vitamins
• 64 percent worried about their ability to eat nutritiously

"NVP certainly is a 'natural' part of pregnancy, but doesn't mean it can't have a major impact on pregnant women. When NVP symptoms interfere with nutrition and self-care or care of family members, they need to be addressed," said Barbara Hughes, CNM, MS, MBA, Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. "Women need to let their healthcare professionals know not just about their symptoms but about the effects of those symptoms on their lives."

The survey results, reviewed and evaluated by members from the American Pregnancy Association, Association of Physician Assistants in Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as nurse midwives, pharmacists and OBGYNS, also showed a large majority of women reported substantially diminished control over their lives in a variety of areas due to NVP:

• Four in 10 women with moderate-to-severe NVP had to reveal their pregnancy sooner than they would have liked, because of their symptoms
• 75 percent of women with moderate-to-severe symptoms indicated that their general enjoyment of pregnancy was compromised
• About half (46 percent) said NVP symptoms increased their anxiety about a healthy pregnancy outcome
• Almost half (43 percent) reported that their symptoms would have bearing on whether they would become pregnant again

For more information visit www.MorningsicknessUSA.com.

Survey Methodology
A total of 621 women who were currently pregnant or had given birth within the past six months, and experienced nausea and/or vomiting during their most recent pregnancy participated in an online survey in October/November of 2012 conducted by National Analysts Worldwide. Survey participants were drawn from SSI (Survey Sample Incorporated), one of the nation's largest demographically representative web panels.

About Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP)
Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), or morning sickness, affects 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women.¹ NVP can present differently for each woman, the symptoms include: nausea, gagging, retching, dry heaving, vomiting, and odor and/or food aversion.³  For most pregnant women, symptoms generally cease at approximately 16 to 20 weeks.³ However, some women can experience symptoms throughout their pregnancy.³ For more information please visit www.MorningsicknessUSA.com.

About Duchesnay USA
Duchesnay USA is a unique healthcare company devoted to safeguarding the health and well-being of expectant mothers and their unborn babies. Its affiliate company, Duchesnay Inc. was founded in 1970 in Canada, the family-owned company realigned its business in 1992 to focus specifically on pregnant women after a family member experienced a very difficult pregnancy. Duchesnay USA was established in Rosemont, Pennsylvania in 2011 to pursue that same mission. Realizing a lack of sufficient information on medications for use in pregnancy, Duchesnay USA strives to ensure that expectant women who require pharmacological treatments have access to proper medical advice and therapies that are safe for them and their unborn babies. Duchesnay USA's mission is to develop pharmacological solutions to reduce the symptoms of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP). For more information on Duchesnay USA, please visit www.DuchesnayUSA.com.

About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About National Analysts Worldwide
A Philadelphia-based research and consulting firm, NA Worldwide is the world's oldest business intelligence organization, supplying opinion research and decision support to commercial organizations and policy-makers for over a century.  Areas of particular focus include the life sciences, in which the firm conducts over 50 surveys each year with providers, patients, and other healthcare decision-makers, as well as assignments intended to produce evidentiary data for federal court decisions.   

¹ "Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy," ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 52, 2004.

² Ebrahimi N, Maltepe C, Bournissen FG, Koren G. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: using the 24-hour Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE-24) scale. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2009;31(9):803-807

³ Clark SM, Costantine MM, Hankins GD (2012) Review of NVP and HG and Early Pharmacotherapeutic Intervention. Obstet Gynecol Int 25: 2676. Epub 2011 Nov 24.

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SOURCE Duchesnay USA