The burden of illness of severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in the United States

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 186; no. 5; pp. S220 - S227
• Main Authors: Attard, Cheryl L., Kohli, Michele A., Coleman, Suzanne, Bradley, Cathy, Hux, Margaret, Atanackovic, Gordana, Torrance, George W.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Mosby, Inc 01.05.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; burden of illness; Cohort Studies; Cost of Illness; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Nausea; Nausea - psychology; Nausea - therapy; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - psychology; Pregnancy Complications - therapy; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; vomiting; Vomiting - psychology; Vomiting - therapy; United States; North America; America; Nausea; quality of life; burden of illness; pregnancy; vomiting; Human; Pregnancy disorders; Mental load; Quality of life; Pregnancy; Vomiting; Cohort study; Digestive diseases; Female; Cost analysis; Severe; Public health
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1067/mob.2002.122605

Objective: Our purpose was to determine the extent to which nausea and vomiting of pregnancy affects a woman's quality of life (QOL), ability to function, and health care resource use. Study Design: We conducted an observational, multicenter, prospective cohort study by gathering data on the symptoms, QOL, and health care resource use from women who have nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Results: All 8 domains of health measured by the Short Form-36 QOL survey were limited by patient symptoms. This limitation manifested itself as patient-time loss from work and other normal activities, unpaid caregiver-time loss from work, and use of health care resources (eg, hospitalization). All types of time loss were correlated to severity of symptoms. Conclusions: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy can severely reduce a woman's QOL and ability to function. The degree of limitation is associated with the severity of symptoms. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:S220-7.)