Healthcare Professionals
Welcome to the Pregnancy Sickness Support section for healthcare professionals. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) are very common. 94% of pregnancies will suffer to a greater or lesser extent and the degree of severity is very much on a continuum from mild nausea, which is helped by eating little and often, to the very extreme cases of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) in which without medical intervention and IV therapy the life of the pregnant person and baby would be at serious risk. Hyperemesis gravidarum affects approximately 3% of pregnancies, which equates to 30,000 per year in the UK.
Our charity aims not just to help people suffering with these conditions but to support the healthcare professionals involved in their care. Look at our 'Training Events' for the next available HG training delivered by our charity chairperson and nurse specialist, Dr Caitlin Dean.
Please take the time to explore our website and look at our resources where we have provided links and references to up-to-date research on the care and treatments for NVP and HG. We have sections for midwives as well as doctors in both primary and secondary care settings; although much of the information on each page is relevant to all healthcare providers and it is worth looking at the different sections for tips and advice.
If you cannot find the information you require here or would just like to speak to someone at the charity, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 Almost 70% of women are bedridden, needing daily extra support |
 47% of women signed off sick had not received pharmaceutical treatment |
 More than 40% of women taking prescribed medication had to actively request it |
Quick Access Resources
The windsor definition for hyperemesis gravidarum: A multistakeholder international consensus definition.
The consensus definition for hyperemesis gravidarum consisted of: start of symptoms in early pregnancy (before 16 weeks gestational age); nausea and vomiting, at least one of which severe; inability to eat and/or drink normally; strongly limits daily living activities. Signs of dehydration were deemed contributory for the definition for hyperemesis gravidarum.
- Over 50% of women suffering with HG have considered termination.
- More than 25% report occasional suicidal ideation.
- As many as 15% of HG sufferers will terminate a wanted baby.
