Many Pregnant Women Do Not Receive Proper Nausea Treatment

Many people in the U.S. who could benefit from "safe and effective ways to prevent and treat predictable cases" of nausea, including pregnancy-related cases, "fail to receive adequate treatment, if any treatment at all," the New York Times reports. Most women are "terrified" of taking any medication for nausea while they are pregnant. Merrell Dow voluntarily withdrew its drug Bendectin after a "barrage" of lawsuits were filed claiming it caused birth defects, the Times reports. However, a number of studies have "exonerated" the drug and an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' clinical guidance bulletin listed a combination of the drug and vitamin B6 among the first-line treatments for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, according to the Times. Phenothiazines and trimethobenzamide also have been proven to be safe and effective in treating the condition, and the March of Dimes lists many diet and lifestyle options that have been proven effective in treating nausea among pregnant women. According to the Times, between 70% and 85% of pregnant woman are affected by vomiting or nausea, and up to 2% are hospitalized with "severe and protracted vomiting" (Brody, New York Times, 10/24).

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