J Korean Acad Womens Health Nurs.  2000 Dec;6(4):477-492.

A Survey of Morning Sickness during Pregnancy

• Hyun JS
• Park YS

Abstract

The purposes of this study were 1) to identify incidence, severity and duration of morning sickness; 2) to explore the diet relieving nausea; and 3) the demographic factors related to morning sickness. The data were collected on 281 pregnant women by the questionnaire comprized of demographic variables, obstetric characteristics, and pattern of morning sickness from 6 weeks gestational period to 30 weeks, who visited prenatal clinic of three general hospitals and a public health center in Seoul. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and chi2 test, using the program of SPSS/WIN 8.0. The results were as follows; 1. Incidence of morning sickness comprised of 72.3% pregnant women. Occurrence of morning sickness was gestational mean of 5.93 weeks, and morning sickness ceased after gestational mean of 14.62 weeks. 2. Of those women who experienced morning sickness 27.9% had morning sickness in the morning and 19.7% in the afternoon, and 45.3% had morning sickness for 1 hour in duration and 19.2% throughout the entire day. 3. Of those pregnant women 51.2% had moderate discomfort and 33.5% had severe discomfort in morning sickness. The situations that triggered morning sickness were 'hunger' for 32.9%, 'smell' for 30.3%, and 'cooking' for 23.3%. 4. The affects of morning sickness to lifestyle were 'moderate change' for 39.9%, 'mild change' for 33.5%, and 'much change' for 23.6%. 5. To remedy morning sickness 34.6% of pregnant women tried to eat fruits, and 14.8% tried to drink carbonated beverage. The effective foods relieving morning sickness were fruits for 38.4%, carbonated beverage for 15.6% and dry carbohydrate for 12.0% of pregnant women. The ineffective foods relieving it were milk for 31.0% and dry carbohydrate for 23.7% of pregnant women. 6. The level of relieving of morning sickness by diet were 'mild' for 55.7%, 'no change' for 21.7%, and 'moderate' for 17.7% of pregnant women. 7. There was a significant association with morning sickness and age, but no significant associations with morning sickness and parity, educational level, occupation, type of marriage, and type of family.

MeSH Terms

Carbonated Beverages
Demography
Diet
Female
Fruit
Hospitals, General
Humans
Incidence
Life Style
Marriage
Milk
Morning Sickness*
Nausea
Occupations
Parity
Pregnancy
Pregnancy*
Pregnant Women
Public Health
Surveys and Questionnaires
Seoul