Positive Health Online

Abstract

SRIPRAMOTE and LEKHYANANDA, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Medical College, Vajira Hospital, Thailand, have conducted a randomized trial comparing ginger and vitamin B6 in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Background

The aim of the study was to compare the potency of vitamin B6 and ginger as therapies for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

Methodology

In this randomized double-blinded controlled trial, 138 women who experienced nausea and vomiting at or before 16 weeks of pregnancy were randomly allocated to receive identical-looking capsules containing either 500 mg of ginger or 10 mg of vitamin B6 three times daily for three days. Subjects rated the severity of their nausea on a VAS and recorded the frequency of vomiting during the 24 hours preceding the trial and for the 3 days of the trial.

Results

Both ginger and vitamin B6 significantly reduced the nausea scores by about one third (p < 0.001). They also reduced the number of vomiting episodes by about one third (p < 0.01). There were some minor side effects in both groups such as sedation and heartburn, with no significant differences between the groups.

Conclusion

Both ginger and vitamin B6 were found to be efficient treatments for pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting, with no significant differences between the two agents.

References

Sripramote M, Lekhyananda N. A randomized comparison of ginger and vitamin B6 in the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 86 (9): 846-853, Sep 2003.