Lack of relationship between infection by Helicobacter pylori and vomiting that usually occurs during pregnancy, although possible relationship with severe forms of emesis.
OBJECTIVE
It has been reported that infection by Helicobacter pylori may cause severe vomiting during pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum). Two studies were carried out in order to examine the relationship between this infection and less severe vomiting.


METHODS
The first study was a retrospective study involving 3438 women who required admission to the hospital during pregnancy. In 178 women, vomiting was recorded as one of the diagnoses at the time of discharge. In 162 of these women, a serum specimen was available to study the presence of anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies (anti-HP Ab). The second study examined the presence of vomiting and anti-HP Ab in an additional 250 pregnant women who were admitted to the Maternity Ward for childbirth. In this study, the duration and intensity of emesis during the previous months was recorded.


RESULTS
In the first study, no significant difference was found between the prevalence of anti-HP Ab in the 162 women in the study and a control group of women without emesis (43.2 vs 42.9%, p = NS). In the second study, there was no significant difference in seroprevalence between the women with emesis and the control group without vomiting, with the exception of the more severe cases (anti-HP Ab 77.8%, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study do not show that there is a relationship between infection by Helicobacter pylori and less severe vomiting during pregnancy. Nevertheless, we believe that additional studies should carried out in order to determine the relationship between the more severe cases of emesis during pregnancy and this treatable infection.
Larraz
J
J
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Donostia, Apartado de Correos 477, 20080 San Sebastián, Spain.
Marin
N
N
Piñeiro
L
L
Cilla
G
G
Pérez-Trallero
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial