Core tip: Do I need medication to treat morning sickness? Experts believe that the cause of morning sickness may be related to hormonal changes in expectant mothers. Mild morning sickness does not require treatment, but severe morning sickness requires medical advice. To relieve the symptoms of morning sickness, pregnant women should stay comfortable, eat a light diet and exercise moderately.
Recently, according to the Associated Press, the German pharmaceutical company Gruenenthal finally bowed its head and apologized to the victims of the drug thalidomide developed by the company 50 years ago. In the 1950s and 1960s, thalidomide was sold in Germany and other European countries, Australia, Canada and Japan as a powerful sedative to relieve morning sickness. In 1961, these countries discovered that thalidomide caused birth defects in vision, hearing, limbs, heart, and genital development in infants whose mothers took it, and the drug was subsequently removed from the market.
Although this drug has been taken off the market, this incident has also caused many people to worry about morning sickness drugs. So do pregnant women need to take medicine for morning sickness? What effects will drugs have on the fetus?
Mild symptoms of morning sickness do not require medication
Morning sickness is an early pregnancy reaction, which refers to symptoms such as mild nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, and fatigue that occur in pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy. It gradually improves and disappears on its own.
It is generally believed that the cause of morning sickness is related to hormonal changes in expectant mothers. Due to early pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin levels increase rapidly in pregnant women. This substance that inhibits gastric juice secretion significantly reduces gastric juice, affects the normal digestion and absorption function of pregnant women, and causes nausea and vomiting.
Experts say that mild morning sickness does not require treatment, and 80% of pregnant women will stop morning sickness after three months of pregnancy. In addition, there is no need to worry about morning sickness affecting the fetus\’s nutrient absorption, because in the early stages of pregnancy, the fetus is mainly in the organ formation stage, and its nutritional needs are less phased than in later stages. Symptoms of vomiting during pregnancy are generally mild, so there is no need to worry too much.
However, some pregnant women may experience severe morning sickness due to excessive mental stress and nervous system dysfunction. They may even experience frequent and severe vomiting, being unable to eat, and vomiting after eating. In addition to food and mucus, vomitus sometimes also contains bile or brown blood residues, which then manifests symptoms such as general weakness, obvious weight loss, and oliguria. Experts say that if severe morning sickness occurs, you can ask a doctor for treatment. Taking vitamin B or intravenous infusion of glucose and sodium chloride injection can effectively relieve morning sickness.
Which morning sickness medicines should not be used?
Methoclosan is contraindicated in morning sickness
Metoclopramide, also known as metoclopramide, has obvious antiemetic effects, but it should not be used to treat vomiting during pregnancy. The reason is that metoclopramide causes uterine contractions. If metoclopramide is used during vomiting in early pregnancy, it can easily cause miscarriage. In addition, although metoclopramide has low toxicity and few side effects, pharmacological experiments have confirmed that the drug can pass through the placental barrier.Enters fetal blood. Animal experiments also show that metoclopramide has teratogenic effects, so pregnant women should not use it.
Do not take vitamin B6 for a long time
Vitamin B6 is the traditional way to treat morning sickness. Many pregnant women have severe reactions to early pregnancy, including nausea and vomiting and being unable to eat. Doctors usually allow small amounts of vitamin B6 to be taken to stop vomiting. However, some pregnant women think that vitamin B6 is a vitamin, a substance needed by the human body, and has no harm, so they eat more and for a longer period of time. However, studies in recent years have found that taking too much vitamin B6 for a long time can cause fetal dependence. After the fetus is born, it is prone to adverse reactions such as excitement, crying, irritability, panic, eye twitching, and even convulsions. This kind of convulsions occur due to the relative lack of vitamin B6 after the child leaves the mother\’s body, resulting in a decrease in the content of central nervous system inhibitory substances in the body. Children with these symptoms do not gain weight for 1 to 6 months. If the diagnosis and treatment are not timely, the sequelae of mental retardation will occur.
How to Correctly Relieve Morning Sickness
Some experts believe that the occurrence of morning sickness may also be related to an individual\’s physical constitution and psychology. Pregnant women who pay too much attention are prone to psychological anxiety and tension, and these negative emotions can also aggravate morning sickness. Therefore, pregnant women should maintain appropriate exercise while maintaining a happy mood. Pregnant women can choose a suitable time to go out for a walk. Lying in bed all day is not conducive to relieving morning sickness. You should also avoid lying down after meals.
In terms of diet, doctors recommend that pregnant women eat a light diet and eat small meals frequently. Pregnant women can eat more foods that are easy to digest and beneficial to the brain development of their children, and try to mix them as much as possible. Eggs, milk, fish, meat, animal liver, soy products, kelp, vegetables, fruits, etc. can be eaten appropriately.