Clinical Trial Using Ginger/Diclectin for the Treatment of Morning Sickness

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of Ginger or its placebo, and Diclectin or its placebo in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Morning sickness is a common problem in early pregnancy, affecting approximately 70-90% of pregnant women. Often it subsides by 16 weeks gestation, but can linger throughout the pregnancy. Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) has a huge effect on the lives of women and their families - physically, emotionally, psychologically and often financially. We are interested in ways to help alleviate the symptoms of NVP and improve women's experience of early pregnancy.

Ginger is an herb that has been used for centuries as a digestive aid for nausea and vomiting, including NVP. Diclectin is a drug used specifically for the treatment of NVP and has been carefully researched regarding its effectiveness and safety in pregnant women. It is the only drug listed in the Canadian CPS (Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties) for treatment of NVP. We are interested in how these treatments work for women experiencing morning sickness.

We are looking for women interested in participating in this study. Volunteers are required who:

Participants will be in the trial for 12 days and will be asked to complete a Nausea and Vomiting Scale twice each day. Participants will also be asked to complete a Quality of Life Scale on three of the days. The time required to complete the scores will be approximately 10 minutes each day. The participants will take pills three times a day for seven days starting on day two. Each participant will be offered a second course of pills following completion of the study for a week if she feels the pills have relieved her symptoms.

The study if being funded by the Medical Research Council of Canada and has been approved by the Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Alberta. The study is taking place in various Canadian cities.