Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: associations with maternal gestational diet and lifestyle factors in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Objective To investigate primarily the dietary intake, as well as demographics and selected lifestyle factors, of women experiencing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, nausea only, or women who are symptom free. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, a population-based pregnancy cohort. Sample Analyses were based on 51 675 Norwegian pregnancies. Methods Dietary intake was assessed by a self-reported food frequency questionnaire answered in the first trimester of pregnancy, as were data regarding nausea and vomiting. Chi-squared tests, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression were used. Main outcome measures Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP), gestational weight gain (GWG), and dietary intake. Results We found that 17 070 (33%) women experienced NVP, 20 371 (39%) experienced only nausea, and 14 234 (28%) were symptom free. Women with NVP were younger and heavier at pregnancy onset, with the lowest GWG and highest energy intake during pregnancy, primarily from carbohydrates and added sugars, compared with the other groups (P