Role of Chatbots on Supporting Women in Perinatal Period: A Scoping Review.

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP), commonly known as morning sickness, is one of the most common minor disorders of pregnancy, experienced by most pregnant women, and usually resolves during the first trimester, with occasional persistence until delivery. The severity of symptoms, timing of symptom onset, and duration vary both among women and across multiple pregnancies of the same woman. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are common conditions affecting most pregnant women. Nausea affects approximately 70–80% of the pregnant population, and vomiting is experienced by about 50%. Nausea and vomiting range from mild to severe, with Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) being the most severe end of the spectrum. Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is defined as severe and persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, resulting in dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalance. In Ethiopia, 74.5–74.9% of pregnant women are affected by NVP. Although various metabolic and neuromuscular factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of NVP and HG, the exact cause of NVP is unknown. Both mild and severe symptoms can have significant morbidities and socio-economic impacts with profound effects on women’s health and quality of life during pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy not only cause physical discomfort but also have a psychosocial effect on role adaptation and quality of life, resulting in lower acceptance of pregnancy. In the community, NVP is often perceived as a common symptom during pregnancy that does not require treatment. But in some cases, the severity of NVP can reach critical levels, leading to a range of complications from associated malnutrition, dehydration, and excessive weight loss, thus requiring hospital admission and continuous monitoring. Understanding the burden of NVP is essential for designing appropriate interventions to decrease the severity or duration of the condition. The majority of existing studies on NVP are facility-based and, therefore, may not capture the full burden of the condition at the population level. In a country with low antenatal booking (39.6%) and institutional delivery (27%), facility-based studies are often subject to bias, as many women are not captured and only those with complications tend to attend health facilities. Furthermore, important behavioral and lifestyle-related determinants, such as physical exercise and cigarette smoking, have not been adequately addressed in previous studies in the Ethiopian context. Even with the high burden of NVP in most developing settings, existing literature suggests that the prevalence and associated factors of NVP in Ethiopia remain underexplored, with limited empirical evidence documenting their nature and influence on maternal and child health outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to address these gaps by assessing the prevalence of NVP and its associated factors among pregnant women in a population-based open cohort of the Kersa Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Eastern Ethiopia.