Self-reported vomiting during pregnancy in North-east Nigeria: perceptions, prevalence, severity and impacts

Vomiting is a common ailment during pregnancy, often linked to negative impacts on women's quality of life. Very little is known about the issue in low income settings, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, with studies from high income settings predominantly informing the evidence base. This study aimed to explore how women perceive vomiting during pregnancy and to measure its prevalence, severity and impacts in North-east Nigeria.

Qualitative in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, family interviews and a cross-sectional household survey were carried out between December 2015 and November 2016 with women who had given birth within the past two years. Purposive sampling and thematic analysis were used in the qualitative studies. A three-staged cluster sampling with 640 women and descriptive analyses were used in the survey.

Women in the qualitative studies reported that vomiting was a normal part of pregnancy, unless a woman vomits after eating, has poor appetite, is not well-nourished, cannot perform chores, is overwhelmed by it or has to go to hospital. In the survey, 35.4% (95% CI 26.5-45.5) of women reported any vomiting during their last pregnancies and of these only 21.1% said it had stopped entirely within the first trimester. Over half of women who reported vomiting did so at least three times per day most days and 34.7% were vomiting five or more times per day during the most severe period. Care-seeking was reported by 61.5%. Both the qualitative and quantitative data found that vomiting impacted women in multiple ways including nutritionally, physiologically, mentally, financially and martially; 50.8% of women with any vomiting in the survey perceived the overall severity of the condition negatively.

Vomiting during pregnancy is dually seen as normal and problematic depending on its characteristics and impacts. The burden appears to be high with many women seeking care for the condition.