The Psychosomatic Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum by Hypnosis

Abstract

<h2>Summary</h2> Nineteen cases of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy of varying intensity, ranging from the exaggeration of physiologic vomiting to true hyperemesis gravidarum, who obtained little or no relief following a wide variety of symptomatic treatments, were completely relieved of their subjective symptoms following the use of hypnosis, either with direct suggestion or with hypno-analysis and age regression. All patients except two were completely relieved utilizing these methods. This form of therapy may act either by raising the vomiting threshold directly or by preventing contractions from the gastrointestinal tract reaching the higher sensorium. Again, the method of eliciting latent psychogenic factors responsible for the nausea and vomiting and bringing these to the surface and integrating them into consciousness is also a convenient, timesaving, and most effective therapeutic procedure for permanently relieving this ordinarily refractory condition. We believe that this valuable adjunct in the treatment of the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy should be utilized by obstetricians.