My Thought

Understanding acutemorning sickness

I recently came across a pregnant woman who was suffering from severe morning sickness despite the pregnancy being a little advanced.

Due to repeated vomiting and dehydration, she had to be hospitalised several times to get intravenous liquids as her stomach could not hold any food.

For the woman, her difficult situation had been aggravated by a lack of understanding of her condition by some members of her family and the community she lives in, where some people thought she was making a mountain out of a molehill since almost every pregnant woman suffers from morning sickness.

I know of a few other women who have had acute morning sickness during pregnancy and withstood derogatory comments about how they were exaggerating the whole pregnancy experience.

Medical experts say that although some women with severe morning sickness feel better about halfway through their pregnancy, some continue to experience it throughout the entire pregnancy, although in some cases, the symptoms lessen as the pregnancy progresses.

This severe morning sickness is known as hyperemesis gravidarum, a medical condition said to affect around one in 1 000 pregnant women worldwide.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is defined as a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition and dehydration due to the unrelenting nausea or vomiting.

Although the severity and duration of the condition varies in women, it prevents pregnant women from performing their regular daily routines and often creates persistent physical and emotional distress not only on the women, but also their immediate families.

The condition, which can be life-threatening especially if left untreated, has possible complications which include depression, malnourishment of the foetus and the mother as well as excessive strain on vital body organs such as liver and kidneys.

In some cases, due to the prolonged sickness, a woman could even lose her job or other sources of income as she is too weak to work or run a business.

But oftentimes, expectant women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum feel trivialised and unsupported by their families, community and even by the healthcare professionals attending to them.

A Lack of knowledge about the condition and how it affects the life of a woman is one of the major issues that most survivors of hyperemesis gravidarum have encountered during their illness.

Increased awareness of this little-known or understood condition is, therefore, critical not only among the maternal-child health community, but also the general public who spend a lot of time with pregnant women.

The sooner the disease is widely recognised and taken seriously by medical professionals, family and friends, the more effective efforts at understanding and treating the sufferers will be.

Related Articles

Check Also
Close
Back to top button