Determinants of the need for hospital care among women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives: To characterize a cohort of pregnant women who required hospital care owing to nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and to identify variables that could serve as predictors of the need for hospital care.

Design: A retrospective, observational study.

Methods: Between 1996 and 1997, women who suffered from NVP were invited to call the NVP Healthline at The Motherisk Program in Toronto. After obtaining verbal consent, callers were interviewed by trained counsellors through a structured questionnaire about their NVP experience in previous pregnancies. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors that could predict the need for hospital care.

Results: In total, 3,201 women were recruited;1,348 (43.8%) needed hospital care (treatment in the emergency room, day unit or hospital ward). The following characteristics were significantly associated with the need for hospital care: severity of vomiting (more than 5 times a day), use of more than one antiemetic medication, being primigravid, feeling depressed, having had an obstetrician as the primary health care provider and feeling that NVP had affected the partner's daily life.

Conclusions: Several factors, including the severity of physical symptoms of NVP and psychosocial factors, are associated with the need for hospital care. In addition to treatment of physical symptoms, it is important to address other factors associated with NVP.