Prevalence and Burden of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnant Women: Final Analysis of the PURITY Survey

TL;DR

This study found that over two-thirds of Italian pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting, which significantly affects their daily lives.

Contribution

The study provides new data on the prevalence and impact of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy among Italian women.

Findings

Nausea and vomiting occurred in 66.4% of participants, with symptoms starting around 7 weeks of pregnancy.

More than half of affected women reported limitations in daily activities due to their symptoms.

Symptoms lasted an average of 9.7 weeks and were still present in 30.3% of cases at the first interview.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) are common and potentially debilitating symptoms of early pregnancy. However, data on their prevalence and impact in Italy are limited. This survey aimed to assess the frequency of NVP among Italian pregnant women and to evaluate its impact on quality of life. Methods: The survey was conducted in three public university hospitals in Italy during two separate periods. Women with multiple pregnancies or who conceived by medically assisted reproduction were excluded. The Questionnaire for Pregnancy Period, including the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE), was administered during a face-to-face interview at 18–22 weeks of gestation, coinciding with the morphological ultrasound. A structured telephone follow-up interview was performed within 14 days after delivery. This report presents the final analysis of all valid, completed questionnaires. Results: A total of 532 pregnant women were included (mean age 32.7 ± 4.9 years); 277 (52.1%) were primiparous. Overall, NVP was reported by 66.4% of participants. Nausea alone occurred in 28.0% of women, while nausea overall (with or without vomiting) was reported by 64.3%. Vomiting alone was reported by 2.1% and vomiting overall by 38.4% of participants. Symptoms began at a mean gestational age of 7.0 ± 2.8 weeks, lasted 9.7 ± 5.1 weeks, and were still present at the first interview in 30.3% of cases. More than half of the affected women (51.0%) reported limitations in daily activities, particularly work-related activities. Conclusions: This final analysis confirms a high prevalence of NVP among Italian pregnant women and highlights its substantial negative impact on quality of life. Systematic screening and appropriate management strategies should be considered in routine prenatal care.

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