Between 50 and 80 percent of women ...

Between 50 and 80 percent of women experience nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. Many complementary and alternative therapies are perceived to be safe and are used at many pregnant women, but little is known about their relative effectiveness. At least three randomized controll trials have set up ginger to be more effective than placebo in short-term trials. No adverse efficiencys were apparent for mother or baby; however, animal studies have associated ginger with early rudimentary loss and accelerated growth in surviving embryonals Smith and colleagues compared ginger with vitamin [Bsub6] in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in women before the 16th week of pregnancy.

The inquiry included women attending an Australian teaching hospital for obstetric care. Participants were women with nausea or vomiting who were at eight to 16 weeks' gestation as confirmed by way of ultrasonography. Women were excluded from the application of mind if they had any signs of dehydration or indications of other pathology causing nausea or vomiting or if they had a known allergy to ginger or vitamin [Bsub6] The 291 women were randomly allocated to receive ginger (350 mg) or vitamin [Bsub6] (25 mg) three times daily for three weeks. The sum of two units preparations appeared identical, and participants and physicians were blinded to treatment allocation. All women provided demographic and health status information plus a standardized index of nausea and vomiting before randomization. Health status and the nausea/vomiting index were reassessed at days 7 14 and 21 Data also were gathered concerning side purports and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The 146 women randomized to receive ginger were comparable with the 145 women assigned to receive vitamin [Bsub6] At the extremity of the three-week trial, 82 percent of participants had complet and responded their data. Both treatments were effective in reducing symptoms. The couple treatments appeared to be equivalent in overall scores and in the proportion of women reporting freedom from symptoms. Improvements were reported on 68 women (53 percent) receiving ginger compared with 69 women (55 percent) receiving vitamin [Bsub6] Women reported tolerating the couple medicines well, but belching was significantly more habitual with ginger (9 percent compared with naught percent). Dry retching after swallowing the tablet was reported by means of about one half of the women in each collection Pregnancy complications and outcomes were similar in the sum of two units treatment groups.

The authors decide that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy and is comparable in import to vitamin [B.sub.6].

Smith C et al. A randomized controll trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol April 2004;103:639-45

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