Pregnancy term ‘morning sickness’ should be scrapped because it trivialises the condition which can strike expecting women at any time of day, experts insist
- Experts have looked into the accuracy of the pregnancy term ‘morning sickness’
- A study by the University of Warwick claims the term should be scrapped
- The feeling of nausea amongst pregnant women can occur throughout the day
- However, the study shows that vomiting often takes place in the mornings
The term ‘morning sickness’ should be scrapped because the condition actually strikes pregnant women at any time of the day, experts have insisted.
Daily diaries of nausea and vomiting were kept by 256 British mothers-to-be in early pregnancy for a UK study.
It concluded that the term morning sickness ‘trivialises’ the condition and is ‘inaccurate, simplistic and unhelpful’.
Experts have declared that the term ‘morning sickness’ should be scrapped as the condition can affect pregnant women at any time of the day
The study found that nausea and vomiting peaked between 9am and 10am, but women also suffered symptoms throughout the rest of the day.
The Warwick University study said the condition should instead be called ‘pregnancy sickness’ or ‘nausea and vomiting of pregnancy’.
Before beginnnig the study, the researchers said: ‘Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is usually called “morning sickness”. This is felt by sufferers to trivialise the condition.
‘Symptoms have been described as occurring both before and after noon, but daily symptom patterns have not been clearly described and statistically modelled to enable the term ‘morning sickness’ to be accurately analysed.’
A study by the University of Warwick showed that vomiting takes place in the mornings, but nausea can happen at any point of the day
Of the women taking part, only six per cent had no symptoms.
One-third suffered nausea and 59 per cent both nausea and vomiting.
This study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, said: ‘There was a peak probability of nausea in the morning, a lower but sustained probability of nausea throughout the day, and a slight peak in the evening.
‘Findings clearly show nausea and vomiting symptoms can occur throughout the day.
‘Vomiting mostly occurs in the mornings. Nausea…can occur throughout 24 hours.’