For a general summary of global HG research, please visit the Hyperemesis Research Foundation website. We do not provide funding for research at present, however The Bikkja Trust is a UK charity that funds research into HG.
More research is needed to understand the causes, treatments and consequences of HG. We have outlined some of the ongoing research projects in Ireland below:
RCSI Women's Health Research Group
"At RCSI, we have formed a Women’s Health Research Group to promote and advance research dedicated to women's health in Ireland. Due to the significant burden of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on maternal physical and mental health, and the lack of research conducted in this area, we have identified HG as a research priority."
At the moment the researchers are looking to interview healthcare providers: obstetricians, GPs, midwives, dietitians,psychotherapists/perinatal mental health specialists, etc.
Eligibility criteria:
- licensed to practice in the Republic of Ireland
- Experience supporting women with HG
For more information or to express interest, please contact:
Zeinab El-Dirani at zeinabeldirani23@rcsi.ie
PI: Dr Angela Flynn at angelaflynn@rcsi.ie
Links to publications:
Interventions Initiated Before and After Pregnancy for Women who Experience Severe Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Scoping Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-025-04113-7
IRIS Clinic Evaluation
A multidisciplinary HG day-case service (IRIS Clinic) was launched in 2020 at The National Maternity Hospital, Dublin. The clinic provides routine, day-case care in a comfortable space with pre-booked appointments. The multidisciplinary involves midwives, dietitians, perinatal mental health, obstetrics and pharmacy, and the nature of the clinic enables peer-to-peer support. As this clinic is the first of its kind in Ireland, the researchers aim to assess its effectiveness and feasibility, and suggest recommendations for improvement.
Principle investigator: Dr Eileen O’Brien, School of Biological, Health and Sports Science, Technological University Dublin (eileen.obrien@tudublin.ie) Dr O'Brien is also a Trustee
Research midwife: Jean Doherty, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin (jean.doherty@nmh.ie)
Links to publications:
The IRIS clinic: A Protocol for a mixed-methods study evaluating the management of Hyperemesis Gravidarum: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865423001734
Women's experiences of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and of attending a dedicated multi-disciplinary hydration clinic: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871519223000999?via%3Dihub
EMPOWER-HG
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) can lead to malnutrition and other complications for the woman and fetus. There is limited information about the nutritional needs of women with HG and access to nutrition support varies. Individual consultations with a dietitian are helpful, but there is increasing demand for these services and resources are limited. Antenatal group education has been shown to improve nutritional knowledge among pregnant women, but it has not been studied in women with HG. The use of a self-completed nutrition checklist could help women to understand their own dietary intakes, which may reduce the need for intensive dietetic intervention.
The aims of this study are to describe the nutritional intakes of women with HG who attend an intensive HG intervention (IRIS clinic). Nutritional intakes will be compared before and after the intervention. The study will also determine which type of clinical dietetic support is most beneficial for women.
Principle investigators:
Dr Eileen O’Brien, School of Biological, Health and Sports Science, Technological University Dublin (eileen.obrien@tudublin.ie)
Dr Sarah Louise Killeen, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin (sarahlouise.killeen@nmh.ie)
Research collaborations
If you are a researcher and would like to collaborate with Hyperemesis Ireland, please contact news[at]hyperemesis.ie
