Race?

[sarahkate]

There is British research on this. I can't tell you the reference off the top of my head but could probably find it.

It found Asians particularly from the Indian sub-continent to be the commonest group affected by HG, followed by Caucasians, then black African/ Afro-Caribbean.

Whether you can translate that across the Atlantic I don't know. I think the issue here is accessibility maybe? Why is this site more commonly accessed by white ladies given that, across the world, Asians experience more HG. Awareness perhaps? Any thoughts?

[-samanthakay-]

White 90% german 10% scott Browish/red hair and brown eyes.

My mom is Brown eyes and hair

[Xphile_mo]

I'm 100% Scottish - so actually "blue" most of the time with the cold, rather than "white" , and have dark hair. My sister is built almost identically to me, though is a slightly slimmer frame and she's had 4 kids with not only slight nausea!!

My mother FELT very nauseous when pregnant with my sis (and ONLY my sis) but was never physically sick. She then went on to have my two brothers and then me and didn't even feel sick with any of us!! She also says my nana had 7 kids and was not even bothered with a whiff of nausea with any of them!!

So it doesn't appear to run in my family!

[carla]

I was born in England, mom ( and all her family) is Scottish, dad (and all his family) is from England. I have brown hair, blue eyes.

[Mikey&Bree'sMama(src)]

Ok, first off, Natalie, Flemish means you get upper respiratory infections alot, right? No, just kidding, it's people from Flanders, if I remember right, a part of what is now Belgium...do I get a prize?

I'm a total mutt too--German (actually Prussian, but there's no such place as Prussia anymore...), Polish, Irish, Scandinavian, Cherokee indian, French-Canadian, and a tiny bit of British. (I too can really hold my liquor when I'm not preggers! Just don't get me in a fight... )

And I also have dark brown hair, just to further blow that "blonde only" theory out of the water. But I have green eyes.

As a side note--DH is pretty much 50% Irish, 50% British. Our son is **so** white, he practically glows in the dark...I mean, I'm pretty pale, and so is DH, but Michael is so fair-skinned, you can see **all** his veins!

[Starfoot]

100% Hungarian here. It's funny, there's two "types" of Hungarians... my mother is black haired and blue eyed and delicate. That's the "noble" side, I guess. My father is brown hair, blue eyes, very round baby-face, heavy bones etc. (The peasant variety.) I look exactly like my father. =/ I'm very slim usually but big hips, "swimmer shoulders" and hardy I guess. Figures I'd take after the peasant side! But yeah, ironically, the "noble" side of the family never had any trouble with pg and me with my "made-for-hard-work" body build had HG. Go figure. I did some research and only a handful of articles have been posted online about HG in Hungary, so I guess it's not prevalant there but it happens too. They even have a wing devoted to it in one hospital!! Imagine that?

[AndreaMMS]

Interesting. A doctor told a friend of mine that the highest percentage of HG is in women of Carribean decent.

I'm caucasion- English, Russian, German.

[healthymommy]

Im half Filipino (asian) and the other side is English/Native American.
So I have brown hair, brown eyes, and long hair like Pocahontas.
I still think HG has to do with being extra sensitive to hormones, sensitive vestibular system, the liver and some diet/nutritional deficiencies....but again that's still my guess.

[minnesotamama]

Typical Minnesota girl here... blonde hair, blue eyes.... mostly German, Norweigian, Swedish, and a little Dutch!

[Thandie&bensmom]

At the risk of offending someone (which I really hope I don't), I have noticed that most if not all of us on the boards are "white". I was wondering if I did a poll, would we see a higher incidence of HG in "whites" as opposed to other races?

Jesspinky1, I don't think this forum is a true representation of women with hg. I've heard that there is really no rhyme or reason to the disease(all ages, weights,races, genders(baby).)

For one,I think culturally, black people (I can't speak for anyone else because I don't know the statistics) are less likely to seek help outside of their family. Second, I think those of us using the site are lurking or posting and not posting pictures of our kids. And lastly, I think we do it partly because of posts like this:
http://forums.helpher.org/viewtopic.php?p=129083#129083

[Thisbattymom]

I am 1/16 native american (the most comes from my G-Grandma who was Choctaw), the rest is mostly German though there is a smidgeon of Irish & Deleware. My DH is mostly German.
We're "American" = biological heritage may be predominantly German but Cultural heritage is Generic American. His side is influenced by Cajun cooking while mine was Vegetarian (and Kosher). His family was the brainiac grounded type while mine was mostly just 'blowing in the wind' adventure.

I too have wondered if there is an influence from race or cultural heritage. I also wondered if the race/cultural heritage of the child(ren) made a difference. We are just grabbing at straws though - I don't think there really is any link. But with the dire lack of answers we have... I guess anything is worth investigating.

[missuniversal]

i just came across this poll and wanted to add a note, since i noticed in the results that there was only 1 vote for "Latin...of Spanish decent" aka, usually termed Hispanic.
i am of hispanic origin if that's the correct way to term it, my parents are both mexican. my dad was born in mexico and my mother was born here but her parents were from mexico as well. my mom's side of the family originates and resides in Laredo, Texas which is right on the border of mexico.
i think the results of the poll can't really be accurate b/c of limited internet access in many areas of the world and grossly limited resources and information to many races of people in many places around the world. but i still think the poll is a good idea since the more we know about any part of HG can help provide some kind of understanding. i like the idea of trying to gauge as much info as possible about who is affected with HG....... i just wish more women of minority races had access to this wonderful website.

[Gul.]

I am created by ancient Bulgarian, Chuvash, Polish, on my mother's side, and by Kazakh, Uzbek, Iranian, and ancient Persian roots on father's side.

[DMImakai]

There may be racial or ethnic links to the rate of HG among women, but this website is definitely not representative. There is simply too many differences in class, education, access to the internet, and even time to be involved with something like this to do an accurate assessment, even just in the U.S.

But I was wondering, are we so sure that the race of the father might not also be relevant?

[Gul.]

My children have different fathers, very ethnically different, I assume.
One is Russian /Ukrainian. However, going back in history, he could be from Viking, Polish, or German origin.
Second has German, Dutch, Irish, Cherokee Indian, Slavs, and Italian blood.