A randomized controlled trial of ginger to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate whether the use of ginger to treat nausea or vomiting in pregnancy is equivalent to pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6). Methods: A randomized, controlled equivalence trial involving 291 women less than 16 weeks pregnant was undertaken at a teaching hospital in Australia. Women took 1.05 g of ginger or 75 mg of vitamin B6 daily for 3 weeks. Differences from baseline in nausea and vomiting scores were estimated for both groups at days 7, 14, and 21. Results: Ginger was equivalent to vitamin B6 in reducing nausea (mean difference 0.2, 90% confidence interval [CI] -0.3, 0.8), retching (mean difference 0.3; 90% CI -0.0, 0.6) and vomiting (mean difference 0.5; 90% CI 0.0, 0.9), averaged over time, with no evidence of different effects at the 3 time points. Conclusion: For women looking for relief from their nausea, dry retching, and vomiting, the use of ginger in early pregnancy will reduce their symptoms to an equivalent extent as vitamin B6.