Clinical Summary for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy Program

How the Program Works | Facts You Need to Know | NVP Outcomes

How the Program Works

Matria's Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy Program includes at-home visits by obstetrical nurses, who administer therapies prescribed by physicians and work with patients to educate them about their condition. Nurses also help patients adjust their diets to facilitate digestion and improve self-care measures for symptom relief.

Prescribed medication is delivered continuously via a pocket-sized microinfusion pump. Dosing is highly individualized and titrated by Matria pharmacists for optimal relief of nausea and vomiting. In addition to the visits, nurses keep in touch with patients via telephonic interactions to help patients:

Alleviate nausea and vomiting symptoms with minimal side effects
Prevent health problems
Correct dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
Stabilize weight loss
Maintain adequate nutrition
Reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits
Return to work and daily activities of life

Matria's NVP program offers the following benefits:

An initial home assessment
Patient education
Equipment and medical supplies (as required)
Experience/expertise in obstetrical home care
24-hour nurse support line
Obstetrical pharmacy consultations
Patient-specific medication and dosing guidelines
Microinfusion pump technology
Detailed clinical reports to the physician and case manager

Facts You Need to Know

Nausea and vomiting occur in 45 percent to 50 percent of all pregnancies. Hospitalizations due to NVP cost an average of $1,400 a day and last an average of three days.

Persistent nausea and vomiting associated with weight loss, fluid/electrolyte imbalance and metabolic disturbances (better known as hypermesis gravidarum) occur in 1.5 percent to 3 percent of pregnancies. More common in first pregnancies, NVP occurs in the first trimester and early second trimester and is usually resolved within 15 to 16 weeks of gestation, although it can persist even longer.

NVP Outcomes

Results from a published study[1] showed that Matria’s NVP program reduced NVP symptoms for 382 out of the 428 women receiving outpatient treatment via subcutaneous pump prescribed by their physician from 2000 to 2002.

Other results:

78 percent increase in weight gain or stabilization
89 percent reduction in nausea and vomiting symptoms
Decrease in the number of people admitted to the hospital before Matria’s NVP program from 65.4 percent to 3.3 percent

[1] David G. Lombardi, MD, Niki B. Istwan, RN, Debbie J. Rhea, MPH, John M. O’Brien, MD, John R. Barton, MD, University of Kentucky, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lexington, Ky.; Matria Healthcare, Department of Clinical Research, Marietta, Ga.; Central Baptist Hospital, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Lexington, Ky.