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TheWashington Post on Tuesday examined the effects of hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of pregnancy sickness characterized by persistent nausea and vomiting and significant weight loss. The condition occurs in about three to 20 of every 1,000 pregnancies, and more than 30,000 women are hospitalized for the condition annually. The repeated vomiting can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance and, in severe cases, neurological disorders, spleen tearing, kidney failure and lung collapse, the Post reports. The condition also is linked with restricted fetal growth, preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Marlena Fejzo -- a geneticist and researcher at theUniversity of Southern California who has studied hyperemesis -- said the condition leads some women to seek abortions, have fewer children than planned or adopt. Although the exact causes of hyperemesis are unknown, studies have found that women with the condition have higher levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin and the thyroid hormone thyroxin than women with less severe nausea and vomiting. Women are at a higher risk for hyperemesis if they experienced the condition in a previous pregnancy; are pregnant with twins; have a mother or a sister who experience hyperemesis; have gastric disorders; or are prone to motion sickness.

The Post article features a reporter's account of her experience with the condition (Tse, Washington Post, 11/4).

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