HER Foundation helps UCLA, USC and 23&Me link debilitating pregnancy illness to two genes

           FINALLY A BREAKTHROUGH FOR women suffering from the severe pregnancy illness, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Many people remember Princess Kate Middleton being hospitalized during her first pregnancy due to the severity of the disorder. However, other women affected by the pregnancy illness have limited family size, quit their jobs or sadly felt so desperate due to the debilitating illness that they terminated wanted pregnancies. Many HG women describe the illness as something no one can truly understand unless they have endured it themselves. Instead of the joy every pregnancy should bring, HG women spend most of the 9 months suffering in silence unable to eat or simply keep water down.

The HER Foundation, researchers at UCLA and USC, and 23andMe, Inc. conducted the first genome-wide analysis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and identified two genes associated with HG, which was published this week in Nature Communications. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03258-0). Continue reading →

Hope you had a wonderful time with family this Christmas! Best wishes for 2018 from all of us at HER! Thank you to all who donated to #Give2HER to make this year a success!

What an exciting month for HG Awareness! From reaching and teaching docs at ACOG, the premiere OB conference, to HG Awareness Day on May 15, and the HER 5K Purple Bucket Run/Walk (with a 1 mile walk/run) on May 20th! The Purple Bucket Run is as much fun and awareness as it is fundraising for important genetics research to find a cause and cure for HG. Grant funding is rare for HG despite the devastating impact on families and the 1000’s of babies lost each year! Help us raise awareness and funding so more women and their children survive HG!

As we say goodbye to an amazing year, we welcome 2017 and eagerly await the exciting events ahead. From a 5k to medical conferences and new research, HER will achieve even more this year. We have impacted the lives of over 17,000 women this past year, and thanks to your donations, are able to be your voice at the largest OB conference, ACOG, in May 2017. See our end of the year report:
http://www.helpher.org/about-her-foundation/eoy-2016.php.

With your help, we will make 2017 the #BestYearEver!

A study published by UCLA and supported, in part, by the Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation found no evidence linking Zofran to birth defects.

“What was really significant to me was that women with extreme morning sickness who took Zofran reported fewer miscarriages and terminations and experienced higher live birth rates,” Fejzo said. “Taking this medication helped them get through their pregnancies and gave them their desired outcome, a live birth.”
Marlena Fejzo, PhD

Source: UCLA Health
Read the full study or HER Foundation collaborative research. Continue reading →

HER is hosting #PTSDchat tonight at 6 pm PT (9 pm ET). Join us in a conversation about PTSD after HG via this special Twitter chat using the hashtag #PTSDchat.

Survivors of hyperemesis gravidarum may have problems with self-esteem, intimacy, guilt, and conditioned food aversions. Pregnant women may experience anxiety and depression related to helplessness from receiving inadequate treatment for hyperemesis, fear of the hyperemesis recurring in future pregnancies, painful and invasive treatments, and having to face the fear of serious harm or death to herself and/or her unborn child.

Click more information on this event.

Click here to go straight to the live hashtag during the chat (or at another time to read). 

Continue reading →

We are excited to begin 2016 with so much enthusiasm about the genetic research finding. Thanks to our volunteers, we also served 1000’s of mothers last year! With your support, we anticipate this year will be even more successful!

An important part of the HER Foundation’s mission is empowering families with facts, resources, and tools to advocate for needed care during pregnancy. Therefore, our website is rich with information for HG Moms and families. Here are some of the most popular pages:

Survival Guide and Downloads

Read our Survival Guides with tips and strategies for coping with HG. Also find downloadable tools to document and journal symptoms.

Common Medications

Medications, typical dosages, side-effects, and related research can be viewed on this page.

Health Professional Referral Network

Find or add a health professional at this link. The Referral Network is updated on an ongoing basis as moms submit health professionals worldwide.

Contact Us

Connecting with the volunteers from the HER Foundation is easy. In addition to the Support Forums, HER also has two Facebook groups: HG Support & HG Kids.

Pregnancy After HG

Find the info to make a medical protocol prior to conception as well as physically and mentally prepare for another HG pregnancy.

Read our new (PDF) brochure you can print and share. Find out how to optimize your medications and learn how to use them to manage HG most effectively.

First World Colloquium on Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Bergen, Norway 20. – 21. October 2015 

Show your support and let your healthcare providers know about this upcoming conference. It is primarily intended for health professionals but anyone is welcome. Dr. Fejzo who heads our research will be one of the speakers. The HER Foundation is the voice for HG mothers!

Click for Program & Registration

The HER Foundation has struggled mightily with the decision to take a year off from the HER5K. For 2015, we want to take the time to simply focus on the mission and vision of the Foundation and we need to raise more funds in order to make the race happen!

The HER Foundation relies 100% on donations, as it receives no private or government funding. This year we plan to focus more on educating the medical community by attending medical conferences that include nurses, midwives, nutritionists, and OBGYNs who need to hear our plea of better healthcare for HG women. This is one of the most important reasons the HER Foundation exists . . . to make sure your stories and your voices are heard by us speaking up for you. The medical community must understand that better healthcare is crucial for HG women.

As we look forward to sponsoring the race again in 2016, we want the many of you who have attended and supported the event in the past to know that 100% of whatever you choose to contribute will directly support our charitable endeavors. We hope you will join us next year and want to once again thank you for your continued support, dedication and friendship over the years!

That said, don’t forget that MAY 15TH is the annual HG Awareness Day. We are in the process of putting together “HG Meet up Groups” around the globe. On the weekend of May 15th, women can find a nearby group to meet and discuss all things HG or just simply enjoy each others company while hopefully having a fantastic meal, which we all miss so much during our HG pregnancies. We hope you will share your photos on our Facebook page and appreciate all the fundraising you do as well.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN DC FOR THE 2016 HER5K!

The HER Foundation would like to thank all of our volunteers, supporters and donors in 2014! More research is being done on HG in the world today than has ever been done in history! This is because of your support and adding your voices to the cause! A special virtual hug to all of our volunteers who make the HER Foundation what it is and to the donors who keep us going. To HG moms everywhere please know you are not alone and we are here to help you!

We’ve complied a chart that differentiates between morning sickness and Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

Morning Sickness	Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)
You lose little if any weight.	You lose 5-20 pounds or more. (> 5% of prepregnancy weight)
Nausea and vomiting do not interfere with your ability to eat or drink enough each day.	Nausea and vomiting cause you to eat very little and get dehydrated if not treated.
You vomit infrequently and the nausea is episodic but not severe. You have significant discomfort and misery.	You vomit, or feel the need to, often and may vomit bile or blood if not treated. Nausea is usually moderate to severe and constant.
Traditional remedies like diet or lifestyle changes are enough to help you feel better most of the time.	You will probably require fluid hydration through an IV and/or medications to ease your symptoms.
You typically improve after the first trimester, but may be queasy at times throughout pregnancy.	You usually feel some relief by mid-pregnancy, but may be nauseous and/or vomit until late pregnancy.
You will be able to work most days and care for your family, though less than usual at times.	You will likely be unable to work for weeks or months, and may need help just caring for yourself.
You may feel a bit depressed at times, especially if you have more severe nausea, but are able to be your usual self most of the time. You will likely forget most of the unpleasantness after delivery.	You may feel anxious about what lies ahead if you had HG before. You will likely become depressed due to misery and physical depletion. More severe HG often is traumatic and may impact you for years to come.
©HER Foundation

From left to right: Dr. Tom Guttuso Jr., MD., Kimber MacGibbon, RN (HER Co-founder), Dr. Marlena Fejzo, PhD, and Ann Marie King (HER Co-founder)

“Although the preliminary data look promising, there is far too little evidence available at this time to recommend using gabapentin to treat HG. In the circumstances where a patient’s Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) symptoms are severe, have not responded to any other treatments, and are to the point where the patient is considering terminating her pregnancy, a trial of gabapentin could be considered if the obstetrician and the patient are agreeable. In 3-4 years, we should have the results of our large study that will provide the necessary evidence to guide clinical practice regarding gabapentin use for HG.” said Dr. Tom Guttuso, MD.

Meet Dr. Thomas Guttuso, Jr., MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University at Buffalo and HER Foundation Advisory Board member. Dr. Guttuso is currently conducting research trial with HG women using a drug called gabapentin. Dr. Guttuso met the HER Founders and Dr. Marlena Fejzo, PhD of University of California Los Angeles, who is also a HER Advisory Board member, this past fall in Pittsburgh at the Biology of Nausea and Vomiting conference.

Kimber MacGibbon, co-founder and Director of Research and Education of the HER Foundation had this to say about Dr. Guttuso’s current research, “We are excited to have Dr. Guttuso on our Advisory Board and we appreciate Dr. Guttuso’s interest in the treatment of HG. His new research trial of the medication gabapentin (Neurontin) for women with refractory HG is novel and if effective, offers new hope to pregnant mothers who have given up on finding effective care, or have had adverse reactions to currently available treatments. The HER Foundation will continue its mission to seek out and support responsible researchers and clinicians that provide compassionate care to women with HG.”

Continue reading →

Meet Nicola Lennon, brave HG mom of two boys and skydiver!  Nicola did her part to help HG women by taking a huge leap for HG awareness – jumping out of a plane and skydiving! On Saturday, August 16th 2014 at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Lancaster, UK she took the plunge to show every HG woman that if you can get through HG, you can do anything. “Jumping out of a plane is easy compared what I endured with my HG pregnancies,” said Lennon.  “I wanted to show my support and awareness for HG women and help out the HER Foundation who was such a great support for me during my pregnancies. This is my way of saying thank you to HER and letting HG moms know that HG gave me a new perspective on life.  Take nothing for granted and enjoy each day!” Nicola also raised funds for her local HG support organization in the UK and HER Foundation sister charity, Pregnancy Sickness Support (PSS).

Continue reading →

By Sharon Boyd
Registered Dental Hygenist

When I attended dental hygiene school we were taught that pregnancy has absolutely no affect on the health of a woman’s teeth. After getting out into private practice I found that my patients constantly told me otherwise. Not yet being a mother myself, women consistently explained that they never had dental problems until they were pregnant, and then they seemed to all come at one time. Dental professionals are always told about the effects that bulimia nervosa and gastrointestinal reflux have on eroding tooth enamel, but we’re taught to think that a vomiting pregnant woman doesn’t affect dental health at all. Then there was hyperemesis gravidarum, aka “HG.” If any pregnant women had problems with their teeth, it was these moms.

Continue reading →

By Brynn Quick

I can vividly remember the first time I wanted to eat while I was pregnant. I was about 18 weeks along and had had my PICC line since about week 12. I had lost close to 30 lbs. in the pregnancy thus far, and the most I had been able to eat at any given time was a handful of popcorn or an apple slice. During my first hospitalization of 11 days it took me 72 hours to eat a tiny bowl of dry AppleJacks cereal. But here I was at 18 weeks, lying on my parents’ sofa bed with TPN coursing through my veins, and I DESPERATELY wanted a bite of pizza. Just one bite. I wanted to taste it. My shocked parents and husband quickly ordered a pizza and we all hoped that my “window of opportunity” wouldn’t close before it arrived. When it got there my mom slowly, cautiously brought me a slice. We all knew that nothing I ate would stay down, but I took a bite anyway. And it was the Single. Most. Spectacular. Thing. I. Had. Ever. Eaten. I had never tasted anything so amazing in my life. I started crying before I had even gotten a chance to chew. “Oh my God, it is so good!” I sighed, with tears running down my face. About 4 minutes later I ran to the bathroom to be sick, and when I returned to bed I looked my mom straight in the eye and said, “If I make it through this, and the baby makes it through this, and everything is ok in the end, I swear to you and to any god that is out there – I will NEVER complain about my weight again. Even if I gain 200lbs. after this, I promise I won’t care. I just want to eat again.”

Continue reading →

We have received emails expressing concern over the recent article citing possible cardiac complications due to the use of Zofran. However, the risk was stated by the FDA to be in patients given 32 mg of Zofran in a single dose, which is not done in pregnancy or for HG. While safety is not proven for any drug during pregnancy, it appears that any potential risk of Zofran is quite low and needs to be assessed with an understanding of the risk of not using the medication. Read more >>

As we celebrate the HER Foundation’s 10th anniversary, we’re pleased to announce a new tradition with our First Annual ‘HERoes For HG’ Awards.

Please join us in a round of applause for a group that includes extraordinary volunteers, healthcare providers, maternal health partners, and media.

Continue reading →

At the HER Foundation we are ushering in our 10th anniversary with what we hope will be a fun and inspiring celebration, marked by gratitude for the achievements of the past decade and vision for the future of HG awareness, research, treatment, and support.

Among the highlights:

• A 10-day social media party on our Facebook page and Twitter handle, October 14th through 23rd.
• A “10 for HER 10″ Giving Challenge aimed at jumpstarting funding for the next decade of HG help and hope.
• Our First Annual “Heroes for HG” Honors, to be announced on our website and social media October 22nd.

Please join us in celebrating 10 years of help and hope – and in looking forward together, toward the next decade of advocacy for HG moms.