Nausea from pregnancy can be life-threatening, so it’s important for doctors to take it seriously. Sometimes it’s easy for a person to say a condition as common as nausea is normal, but there comes a time when a woman needs to be treated for a severe case.
Known as hyperemesis gravidarum, severe morning sickness can lead to dehydration and other serious consequences. It affects around 3 percent of all pregnancies and results in over 167,000 emergency room visits every year. Prior to the 1950s, there were few ways to treat dehydration from this condition, and it was the leading cause of maternal death. Today, it is the second leading cause of hospitalization after preterm labor.
This disease isn’t well-understood, but it can lead to miscarriages, weight loss and dehydration quickly. The constant, violent vomiting it causes results in an imbalance of the body’s electrolytes and causes dizziness. Some women end up vomiting blood and bile due to being unable to keep any food or water down.
Hyperemesis gravidarum requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids and medication. Women suffering from severe cases could face the potential for fractured ribs, burst eardrums, torn esophagi or other serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses.
If you have suffered from this condition and were ill or lost a child due to mistreatment or negligence on the part of your doctors, it’s important to reach out. You have the right to be taken seriously, and even morning sickness can be deadly. You should not have your concerns dismissed without a proper medical workup, and if you weren’t heard, your attorney can help.
Source: CT Post, “When nausea from pregnancy is life-threatening,” Marlena Schoenberg Fejzo, Dec. 11, 2016