nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

nausea and vomiting of pregnancy,

a common condition of early pregnancy characterized by recurrent or persistent nausea, often in the morning, that may result in vomiting, weight loss, anorexia, general weakness, and malaise. The causes of the condition are poorly understood. It usually does not begin before the sixth week after the last menstrual period and ends by the twelfth to the fourteenth week of pregnancy. Symptomatic relief is often obtained by eating small, easily digested meals frequently and by not allowing the stomach to be empty. In the past, antiemetic drugs were routinely prescribed for this complaint, but this practice is currently reserved for severe cases. Nausea and vomiting after the sixteenth week is an unusual complication of pregnancy, called persistent nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. If it is severe and intractable, hyperemesis gravidarum may ensue. Also called

Usage notes: (nontechnical)

morning sickness.