William Orton: “Dear Congressman Orton: I've been informed of your interest in Hyperemesis Gravidarum and would like to share my concern…”

“Dear Congressman Orton: I've been informed of your interest in Hyperemesis Gravidarum and would like to share my concern regarding the need for further research in this area and some very interesting preliminary findings from a pilot study conducted at our institution. Although there have been no reliable studies that have documented the incidence of severe hyperemesis, estimates suggest that as many as 2% of all pregnancies require hospitalization for this condition. It is clear that this represents a substantial public health problem considering that most women who suffer from this condition do not seek appropriate medical care. We have recently reported (and are in the process of preparing for publication) results from a pilot study suggesting that factors that contribute to high prenatal estrogen levels may be important in the etiology of this condition. As you can see from the attached abstract presented at the recent Society for Epidemiologic Research Meetings, we have observed that the risk of hyperemesis requiring hospitalization increases 3-4 times with each 15 gram increase in consumption of saturated fat (equivalent to one 4oz cheeseburger).”