Most pregnant women (50 to 90%) experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) during their first trimester. NVP can have a significant impact on quality of life (QOL) of pregnant women. However, given that NVP are common and generally not life-threatening, healthcare professionals, and pregnant women often tend to minimize their impact. As a consequence, it is believed that management of NVP is less than optimal.

Through this research project, we sought to identify determinants of presence and severity of NVP during the first and the second trimester of pregnancy separately, with special emphasis on the impact of race/ethnicity. We also aimed to determine the impact of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy NVP on quality of life in the first trimester of pregnancy and evaluate the management of NVP during the first prenatal visit. A prospective cohort study, including pregnant women attending the CHU Sainte-Justine or René-Laennec obstetrics and gynaecology clinics for their prenatal care, has been conducted from 2004 to 2006. Ethics approval was obtained from the CHU Sainte-Justine's ethics committee.

Funding source
Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ).