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Somerville City Council recognizes May as Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Month
Summary
The Somerville City Council passed a resolution recognizing May as Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Month and May 15 as Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day, after members and a national advocate described the condition's severity and gaps in research and care.
The Somerville City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution recognizing May as Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Month and May 15 as Hyperemesis Gravidarum Awareness Day in the city.
Councilor Klingen, who sponsored the resolution, told the council his wife experienced a severe case of the condition and described multiple emergency-room visits and lasting impacts. "It basically it was a torture thing to watch my wife go through," Klingen said. He urged colleagues to support awareness to improve diagnosis and care.
Kimber McKibben, executive director and founder of the Hyperemesis Education and Research (HEER) Foundation, addressed the council remotely. McKibben said her organization has worked with thousands of patients and that the condition is frequently mischaracterized as ordinary morning sickness. "I personally worked 1 on 1 with over 10,000 patients over the years all over the world and our foundation has, had the privilege of helping over 3,000,000 women all over all across the globe," McKibben said. She described research linking the condition to elevated GDF-15 hormone levels and said delayed or inadequate treatment is associated with higher rates of preterm birth, malnutrition and persistent mental-health problems.
Councilors discussed barriers to research funding and clinical guidance. Councilor Wilson and others noted that some clinicians dismiss symptoms and that racial disparities can worsen delays in diagnosis and treatment.
The resolution also expresses the council's support for Massachusetts House Bill H2452, described in the text as legislation to improve awareness, diagnosis, treatment and support for people affected by hyperemesis gravidarum. The resolution directs that a copy be transmitted to the HEER Foundation and encourages local health-care professionals and community leaders to educate themselves and advocate for research and compassionate care.
The council accepted the resolution with multiple councilors signing on; no roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.
