Morning sickness, also called pregnancy sickness, usually affects women in their first trimester of pregnancy. Some women however, are plagued with nausea and vomiting throughout their entire pregnancy. The symptoms can become severe enough to warrant medical intervention. According to information found online, there may be relief in sight for pregnant women trying to keep their morning sickness under control.

Reports indicate that a new study says that a drug called metoclopramide poses no risk to the baby if taken by the mother. Mention the words ‘morning sickness’ and ‘drugs’ in the same sentence and you are likely to invoke memories of what is referred to by some as the ‘Thalidomide tragedy.’ This drug had a number of uses, one of them being a remedy for morning sickness. Over 10,000 babies were born in 46 countries with deformities as a result of Thalidomide use.

This new study’s data incorporated almost 82,000 births in Israel. It looked at 3,458 babies born to women who used the drug. These children were compared to 78,245 babies whose mothers had not used it. According to the findings, there were no differences in problems experienced by newborns in either group. It is important to note that the study did not cover the effectiveness of the drug at alleviating morning sickness.

One doctor in the US, Dr. Keith Eddleman, director of obstetrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center, has already offered a view on this new study. He is quoted as saying, “I think that women will be comforted by this. Most women are reluctant just because of the stories they’ve heard and the perception that taking something in the first trimester can cause harm.”

Like me, many of you are probably not familiar with the drug metoclopramide. I am skeptical of this new study despite its seemingly promising results. I do hope however that this means that morning sickness will eventually be a thing of the past. If your morning sickness is not too severe, drinking tea, especially those with some ginger added, and eating plain crackers have been known to help. Eating small meals can also offer relief.

The way metoclopramide works is by causing the stomach to become empty quicker. It also relieves heartburn which seem to plague pregnant women. It does however have some side effects. These include insomnia, depression and sedation. This makes it even more important to be cautious if one is considering taking metoclopramide. Currently there are no drugs approved for dealing with morning sickness in the US. The study, which was headed by investigators at Ben-Gurion University, recently had its findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine.