Bacteria Linked To Severe Morning Sickness (another market for Quidel)
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, may also cause a severe form of morning sickness in pregnant women, report Austrian researchers.
Researchers at the University of Vienna in Austria found that over 90% of pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum -- severe nausea and vomiting often leading to weight loss and electrolyte disturbances -- were infected with H. pylori. The findings appear in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The study team, led by Dr. Peter Frigo, studied 105 pregnant women, aged 15 to 38, with hyperemesis gravidarum, and also 129 pregnant women who did not have the disorder (the control group). Using blood taken from the women, the researchers found that 95 (90.5%) of the women with hyperemesis gravidarum were infected with H. pylori, compared with 60 (46.5%) of the control group.
The researchers hypothesize that in the early phase of pregnancy, changes in a woman's body fluid concentration affect the acidity (pH) of the stomach, which may in turn activate latent H. pylori residing in the stomach.
Another concern is the high risk of the mother transmitting the bacteria to her unborn child. "Because the incidence of transmission is high, it might be reasonable to treat the hyperemesis gravidarum with therapy to eradicate H. pylori and thereby prevent transmission of the infection to the fetus," the researchers write.
However, controversy exists over the type of therapy that should be given to pregnant women. A combination of two antibiotics and another agent are typically given to eradicate the bacteria in people with ulcers, but only one of the two antibiotics -- amoxicillin -- is recommended for use in pregnant women. According to the report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are said to be in the process of recommending that the other antibiotic -- metronidazole -- be used throughout pregnancy in women carrying the bacteria.
An estimated 70% of all pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting at some time during pregnancy. Commonly referred to as "morning sickness," it can occur at any time of the day and typically begins 4 to 8 weeks into pregnancy and continues for up to 16 weeks. However, approximately 1 in every 1,000 pregnant women experiences a more severe form of nausea and vomiting known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Women with the condition may vomit three or more times each day, experience weight loss of more than 6.5 pounds and have imbalances of electrolytes. Hyperemesis gravidarum can continue throughout pregnancy. SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology (1998;91:615-617) |
