Could Severe Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy Increase Mental Health Risks by Over 50%?

New Delhi, Sep 20 (NationPress) Women experiencing extreme nausea and vomiting (known as hyperemesis gravidarum) during their pregnancy face a significantly elevated risk—by over 50 percent—of developing mental health issues such as post-partum psychosis, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as revealed by a recent study.

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) impacts approximately 3.6 percent of all pregnancies and is the leading cause of hospitalization during the first trimester. While most cases of HG (though not all) resolve by the second trimester, affected women endure severe and prolonged nausea and vomiting, which often results in dehydration and weight loss.

This study, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, involved a comprehensive examination of 24 neuropsychiatric and mental health outcomes reported within one year of diagnosis in 476,857 pregnant women.

While earlier studies established that women with HG are at a higher risk for anxiety, depression, and PTSD, the current research indicated an over 50 percent increase in 13 specific conditions, including both post-partum psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The risks were found to be significantly higher for Wernicke’s encephalopathy (a neurological disorder caused by vitamin B1 deficiency), refeeding syndrome (complications from rapid reintroduction of food to malnourished individuals), eating disorders, and especially post-partum depression, which was shown to be 2.7 times more likely.

“While many pregnant women might experience nausea and vomiting, for those with HG, it occurs at a level far beyond what is considered ‘normal’ and can be severely debilitating. Many of these women require urgent referrals to specialized services for prompt assessment and treatment to safeguard both mother and child,” stated Dr. Hamilton Morrin, a Doctoral Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London.

The ICD-11, the latest International Classification of Diseases from the World Health Organisation, categorizes HG into “mild HG” and “HG with metabolic disturbance.”

The latter is identified by symptoms such as carbohydrate depletion, dehydration, or electrolyte imbalance. The researchers also looked into whether this classification correlates with mental health outcomes.

Crucially, cases of HG with metabolic disturbance (considered more severe) showed a significantly lower risk of depression compared to mild HG. This finding underscores the necessity for thorough mental health screening and support for all women experiencing HG, irrespective of the perceived severity.