Potential Therapeutic Implications of Acutaping on Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) are common symptoms, with prevalence rate from 50% to 90% . NVP symptoms often appear between weeks 5 and 6, peak at 8 to 9 weeks, and subside between weeks 16 and 20 .Long-term morning sickness during pregnancy increases the incidence of postpartum depression symptoms in women and severe NVP increases the chance of low birth weight .

NVP is multifactorial and the most common causes potentially including hormone imbalances, placental disorders, and genetic causes . Genetic factors, Evidence in support of a genetic predisposition to nausea and vomiting of pregnancy includes the following: (a) the concordance in frequency of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in monozygotic twins ; (b) the finding that siblings and mothers of patients affected with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy are more likely to be affected than relatives of unaffected individuals ; (c) the variation in frequency between ethnic groups; (d) the higher frequency of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in patients with predisposing conditions that are genetically determined such as taste sensation; and (e) the occurrence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in women with inherited glycoprotein hormone receptor defects.

The fundamental stimulus-a placental product, the triggering factor for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy has not been identified, although human chorionic gonadotropin and estrogens have been implicated. The principle reason for considering human chorionic gonadotropin initially was the close temporal association between peak human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations and peak nausea and vomiting of pregnancy symptoms. Conditions associated with higher human chorionic gonadotropin production are associated with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. These include multiple gestation with hyperemesis gravidarum 4 to 5 times more common than in singletons .

Whatever the specific trigger, the emetic response is fundamentally the same: there is a marked reduction in gastric tone and motility followed by a retrograde giant contraction moving small intestinal contents into the stomach. Thereafter, contractions of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles combine with relaxation of the gastroesophageal sphincter to facilitate passage of gastrointestinal contents .

Although there are several pharmacological treatments for NVP, many medical professionals and expectant mothers prefer non-pharmacological therapy over pharmacological ones because of worry for their impact on foetal outcomes .