Food aversions and cravings during early pregnancy: association with nausea and vomiting.

The prospective cohort study examined whether Ecuadorian women with early pregnancy nausea and vomiting (NVP) are more likely to develop food aversions and cravings, and if so, whether the specific foods identified as aversive or craved are the same as those predicted by the popular maternal-embryo protection hypothesis (MEPH). Consistent with MEPH predictions, women with NVP were more likely to report increased odor sensitivity and aversions for some predicted "toxic" foods and more likely to crave fruits. However, other hypothesis predictions were not supported. The relationship of food aversions and cravings with NVP appears more complicated than that explained by the MEPH.

Is the nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy really feto-protective?

BACKGROUND: Health care providers and popular press articles frequently advise women that nausea and vomiting of early pregnancy (NVP) portends a favorable fetal outcome. AIM: To investigate the claim that NVP protects against adverse fetal outcomes and improves placental and fetal growth. METHODS: Data were collected on a prospective cohort of 849 Ecuadorian prenatal patients beginning in early gestation until postpartum. A questionnaire collected information on NVP and other maternal characteristics. Fetal outcomes and placental characteristics were examined using anthropometry and physical examination. Multivariate statistical methods controlled for potential confounders. RESULTS: Women with nausea only (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.22-0.94) or nausea with vomiting (AOR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.46-0.99) had significantly decreased miscarriage risk although the strength of the protection appeared less than that reported for other populations. NVP was not associated with low birth weight, preterm delivery, congenital anomaly, or other outcomes excepting slightly increased mean infant thigh skinfold (P = 0.024), mid-upper arm circumference (P = 0.049), and placental weight (P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: The data did not support the common belief that NVP protects against multiple adverse outcomes. Placental weight was slightly increased in women with NVP but this difference was not reflected in higher birth weights or other types of fetal growth except of marginally increased limb fat.