Link Between Severe Morning Sickness and Depression Risk

During and after pregnancy, severe morning sickness was found to increase the risk of depression. The findings are published today in BMJ Open.

Severe morning sickness, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) or excessive vomiting //during pregnancy, affects around 1-2% of pregnant women in the UK.

Morning Sickness
“Morning sickness” is a term that is used to refer to the nausea and vomiting that is present in most pregnant women.

‘Of the women with severe morning sickness, 49% experienced depression during pregnancy compared to 6% in the control group. 29% in the HG group had postnatal depression. ’

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Half of the women with severe morning sickness antenatal depression, and 30% had postnatal depression, stated a new study by researchers from Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

In women without severe morning sickness, just 6% experienced antenatal depression, and 7% suffered postnatal depression.

"Our study shows that women with HG are around eight times more likely to suffer antenatal depression and four times more likely to have postnatal depression," she says. "Some women in the study even had thoughts of self-harm whilst suffering HG. These figures are shocking and should be reflected in the treatment women receive. We need to do much more than simply treat the physical symptoms of HG; assessment for mental health support should also be routine for any woman with the condition," said Dr Nicola Mitchell-Jones, specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology and lead author of the study.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Pregnant Kate's More Than the Normal Pregnancy-induced Morning Sickness
Prince William's wife Kate had to be hospitalised for hyperemesis gravidarum, a more severe version of the pregnancy-induced vomiting called 'morning sickness'.

214 women across three London hospitals - Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital and St Mary's Hospital (both part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust) - in the first trimester of pregnancy were recruited for the study.

Half of the women participants recruited on admission to the hospital with symptoms of HG.

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None of the study participants had been treated for mental health conditions in the last year.

In the first trimester of pregnancy and six weeks after birth, the women were assessed for their psychological well being.

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Depression has a negative effect on maternal-infant bonding.

"Although we can't say that HG was the main reason for those decisions, it may certainly have played a role which is heart-breaking," said Dr Mitchell-Jones, who herself suffered from HG during her first pregnancy in 2018.

"I was in and out of hospital, spent nearly six months in bed - but I was lucky enough to have a supportive and employer and family," she recalled. "Many women can't afford that amount of time off work or are stay-at-home mums with young children to care for. Too often their partners, relatives or work colleagues are not providing the support they need because they fail to understand the severity of what these women are going through. We need to educate them, as well as healthcare professionals."

Source-Medindia