Natural treatments for morning sickness
Morning sickness, characterized by nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, affects many women, particularly in the first trimester. Given the vulnerability of the fetus during this time, there is a growing interest in natural treatments that can alleviate symptoms without posing risks associated with medication. Prominent natural options include vitamin B6 and ginger, both of which have shown effectiveness in some studies. Acupressure, particularly at the P6 point on the forearm, also presents a promising method for symptom relief, often facilitated by specialized wristbands.
In addition to these principal treatments, several other natural remedies are proposed, including dietary changes, such as consuming small, frequent meals and avoiding greasy foods. Aromatherapy and herbal supplements like peppermint and red raspberry are commonly mentioned, though the evidence supporting their efficacy varies.
Lifestyle modifications, including regular physical activity and controlled breathing exercises, may provide additional relief. While natural treatments can be beneficial, severe cases of morning sickness may require medical intervention, emphasizing the importance of monitoring symptoms closely during pregnancy.
Natural treatments for morning sickness
- DEFINITION: Treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Acupressure, ginger, vitamin B6
- OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Red raspberry, vitamin C, vitamin K, aromatherapy, diet and exercise, peppermint
Introduction
Nausea afflicts the majority of women during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, this is also the precise period in which drug therapy is most problematic because of the extreme vulnerability of the fetus. For this reason, to some extent, conventional medicine has welcomed alternative medicine’s quest for safe, natural treatment options.
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
Two natural therapies, vitamin B6 and ginger, have some evidence supporting their use in treating nausea in pregnancy. In addition, acupressure may be helpful.
Vitamin B6. Conventional practitioners have recommended vitamin B6 supplements for many years to treat morning sickness. In 1995, a large double-blind, placebo-controlled study validated this use. In this trial, 342 pregnant women were given a placebo or 30 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6 daily. Participants then graded their symptoms by noting the severity of their nausea and recording the number of vomiting episodes. The women in the vitamin B6 group experienced significantly less nausea than the placebo group, suggesting that regular use of vitamin B6 can be helpful for morning sickness. However, despite the benefits for nausea, vomiting episodes were not significantly reduced. At this dose (30 mg daily), vitamin B6 is believed to be entirely safe.
Ginger. Ginger is a nausea remedy recommended by many in conventional medicine and by traditional healers worldwide. In 2001, a relatively well-designed, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of seventy pregnant women evaluated the effectiveness of ginger for morning sickness. Participants received either a placebo or 250 mg of powdered ginger three times daily for four days. The results showed that ginger significantly reduced nausea and vomiting. No significant side effects occurred.
One study of 138 women and another of 291 women found ginger as effective for morning sickness as vitamin B6. However, a third study of seventy women found ginger somewhat better than B6. None of these studies used a placebo group.
Acupressure. Several studies have evaluated the potential benefits for morning sickness of treatment on a single acupuncture point (P6), traditionally thought to be effective for relieving nausea and vomiting by using acupressure. This point is located on the inside of the forearm, about 2 inches above the wrist crease. Most positive trials have investigated the effects of pressure on this point (acupressure) rather than needling. The most common means used involve a wristband with a pearl-sized bead situated over the P6 point. The wristband exerts pressure as it is worn, and the wearer can press it for extra stimulation.
In general, acupressure has shown promising results. For example, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ninety-seven women reported in 2001 found evidence that wristband acupressure may help relieve symptoms of morning sickness. Participants wore either a real wristband or a fake one that appeared identical. Both real and fake acupressure caused noticeable improvement in more than one-half of the participants. However, women using real wristbands showed significantly more significant improvement. Benefits were also reported the same year in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of sixty women.
These results are consistent with previous studies that also found benefits. Furthermore, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of sixty pregnant women found that ten minutes of self-applied manual acupressure on either P6 or a sham point four times daily improved symptoms. However, two studies failed to find benefits for severe morning sickness.
Other Proposed Natural Treatments
Multivitamin-multi-mineral tablets have shown promise for morning sickness, possibly because of their vitamin B6 content. Based on an uncontrolled study conducted in the 1950s, a combination of vitamin K (at a dose of 5 mg–much higher than nutritional needs) and vitamin C (25 mg) is sometimes recommended for morning sickness. Red raspberry is also frequently recommended, but there is no evidence that it works.
Pregnant women commonly develop iron deficiency anemia. Iron supplements, however, can cause unpleasant stomach pain, thereby aggravating morning sickness. One study found evidence that a low supplemental dose of iron (20 mg daily) is nearly as effective for treating anemia of pregnancy as 40 mg or even 80 mg daily, and it is less likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects.
There are several other proposed natural treatments for morning sickness that are based on lifestyle changes. Practicing self-care by eating small frequent meals and drinking plenty of water and carbonated beverages may relieve symptoms. Avoiding spicy, overly sweet, fatty, and greasy foods in favor of bland, high protein, and salty foods may help prevent morning sickness. Consuming peppermint lozenges, lemon slices, or seasoning food with fennel, cinnamon, and cumin may also relieve symptoms. Aromatherapy with essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, mint, lemon, and orange may help relieved symptoms. Physical exercise and breathing exercises are believed to help reduce nausea as well. One study published in 2020 determined the effectiveness of controlled breathing in combating nausea. Acupuncture and hypnosis have also been suggested. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can be a serious condition and require pregnant women to visit an emergency room to receive intravenous fluids.
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