Nausea and vomiting and dietary cravings and aversions during pregnancy in South African women

Frequency and severity of nausea and of vomiting during pregnancy, and of pronounced dietary cravings and aversions, were determined in a series of South African rural and urban black, Indian, coloured (European-African-Malay) and white women. Frequency of severe nausea ranged from 3.8% in rural blacks to 19.8% in white women, and of severe vomiting from 3.1% in rural blacks to 17.8% in white and Indian women. Proportions in the other groups were intermediate. Pronounced cravings, claimed by 67-84% in the various groups, included sour, savoury and sweet foods, also fruit and milk. Aversions were claimed by 45-81% of the women in the different groups with meat, fish, coffee and fatty foods, the foods most often avoided. Pica, the consumption of such substances as earth, clay, varied ethnically and regionally; frequency was high in rural and urban black women (44.0% and 38.3%), but much lower (5%) in Indian, coloured and white women.