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Options to treat nauesa and vomiting in early pregnancy

JR

There are lots of options but little high-quality scientific support for any of them, according to this Cochrane review.

First, the details.

  • 27 studies of 4041 women were included in the review.
  • Treatments included the following.
    • Acupressure
    • Acustimulation
    • Acupuncture
    • Ginger
    • Vitamin B6
    • Several antiemetic drugs
  • There were no studies of dietary or other lifestyle interventions.

And, the results.

  • P6 acupressure, auricular (ear) acupressure, and acustimulation of the P6 point
    • Limited data are available.
    • Acupuncture (P6 or traditional) showed no significant benefit to women in pregnancy.
  • Ginger products
    • May be helpful to women.
    • But the evidence of effectiveness is limited and not consistent.
  • Vitamin B6 and anti-emetic drugs
    • Limited evidence supports the use of pharmacological agents to relieve mild or moderate nausea and vomiting.

The bottom line?

Given the high prevalence of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, you might think there would be more high quality studies to guide treatment decisions.

Sadly, this is not the case.

9/11/10 22:03 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

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