Researchers looked at the 45 most popular YouTube videos about morning sickness during pregnancy and checked whether the advice given was actually supported by science. They found 85 different recommendations across the videos, but only a handful were proven to work. Surprisingly, some suggestions could even be harmful. The study shows that pregnant women searching YouTube for help with nausea are getting mostly unproven advice, with very little solid scientific backing. This highlights an important gap: we need better, science-based information available online for pregnant women dealing with morning sickness.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether the morning sickness tips and tricks shared in popular YouTube videos are actually backed up by scientific research
  • Who participated: The study analyzed 45 of the most-watched YouTube videos about pregnancy nausea and vomiting that were made for pregnant women
  • Key finding: Out of 85 different recommendations found in these videos, fewer than 10% were proven to work by science, about 5% could be unsafe, and nearly half had barely been studied at all
  • What it means for you: If you’re pregnant and searching YouTube for morning sickness relief, be cautious—most of what you’ll find isn’t proven to help and some suggestions could be risky. Talk to your doctor before trying remedies you find online

The Research Details

This was a two-part study. First, researchers watched the 45 most popular YouTube videos about morning sickness that were aimed at pregnant women. They carefully wrote down every single recommendation mentioned—from medicines to foods to lifestyle changes. They organized all these recommendations into six main categories: medicines, herbal remedies, food suggestions, vitamins and supplements, lifestyle changes, and other tips.

Second, the researchers did a thorough search of scientific studies to see which of those YouTube recommendations had actually been tested and proven to work. They compared what YouTube was saying to what real scientific research had found. This approach let them see the gap between what people are being told online and what science actually supports.

Morning sickness affects most pregnant women and causes real suffering. When women search for help online, they deserve accurate information. This study is important because it shows us that YouTube—a place millions of people turn to for health information—may not be giving pregnant women reliable guidance. Understanding this problem is the first step toward fixing it.

This is a review study, which means researchers looked at existing information rather than conducting their own experiment. The strength of this approach is that it examined real-world information that actual pregnant women are seeing. The limitation is that the researchers only looked at English-language videos and only the 45 most-watched ones, so there may be other videos with different information. The study is solid in its methods and provides a clear picture of a real problem.

What the Results Show

The researchers found a total of 85 different recommendations across all the YouTube videos they watched. These recommendations fell into six categories: medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter), herbal and natural remedies, specific foods or drinks, vitamins and supplements, changes to daily habits, and miscellaneous other suggestions.

When they checked these recommendations against scientific research, the results were concerning. Only about 8% of the recommendations—that’s fewer than 7 out of 85—were actually backed up by solid scientific evidence. The proven helpful options included vitamin B6, ginger, and certain medications that doctors already prescribe for morning sickness.

About 5% of the recommendations (roughly 4 out of 85) were potentially unsafe or could cause harm. This means some of the advice women were getting could actually make things worse or create new problems. Nearly half of all the recommendations—about 40 out of 85—had very little scientific research done on them, so nobody really knows if they work. The remaining third had never been studied at all.

The study found that dietary suggestions and lifestyle changes made up a large portion of the recommendations on YouTube. While some of these are harmless, most haven’t been properly tested to see if they actually help with morning sickness. The videos also frequently recommended herbal and natural remedies, which many people assume are safe just because they’re natural—but the research doesn’t support this assumption for most of them. The study also noted that some videos gave contradictory advice, which could confuse pregnant women trying to decide what to try.

This research adds to growing concerns about health misinformation on social media and video platforms. Previous studies have shown that YouTube and similar platforms often contain inaccurate health information, but this is one of the first studies to specifically look at morning sickness advice. The findings align with what researchers have found about other pregnancy-related topics online: there’s a big gap between what’s popular and what’s actually proven to work. This study confirms that the problem is real and significant for pregnant women.

The study only looked at English-language videos, so the findings may not apply to videos in other languages. It also only examined the 45 most-watched videos, which means there could be other videos with different information that weren’t included. The researchers didn’t interview the women who watch these videos, so they don’t know exactly how much these recommendations influence women’s actual choices. Additionally, the field of morning sickness research itself is limited—many treatments simply haven’t been thoroughly studied—which means some recommendations might actually work but just haven’t been tested yet.

The Bottom Line

If you’re pregnant and dealing with morning sickness, talk to your doctor or midwife before trying anything you find on YouTube. The safest, most proven options are vitamin B6 supplements and ginger (though check with your doctor first). Some prescription medications are also proven safe and effective. Avoid trying remedies you find online without medical guidance, especially herbal products, since many haven’t been tested for safety in pregnancy. High confidence: Talk to your healthcare provider. Medium confidence: Vitamin B6 and ginger may help, but get approval first. Low confidence: Most other online remedies lack scientific proof.

This research is most important for pregnant women experiencing nausea and vomiting who are considering searching online for solutions. It’s also valuable for partners, family members, and friends who might suggest remedies they’ve seen online. Healthcare providers should care about this because it shows a gap in available evidence-based information online. Policymakers should care because it highlights the need for better regulation of health information on social media platforms.

If you try a proven remedy like vitamin B6 or ginger, you might notice improvement within a few days to a week. However, morning sickness varies greatly from person to person, and what works for one woman might not work for another. It can take some trial and error with your doctor’s guidance to find what helps you. Most morning sickness improves naturally by the second trimester (around 14 weeks), regardless of treatment.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your nausea severity on a scale of 1-10 each day, along with what remedies you tried and whether your doctor approved them. Note which approaches actually reduced your symptoms so you can identify what works for you personally.
  • Instead of searching YouTube when morning sickness strikes, use the app to log your symptoms and send that data to your doctor or midwife. This creates a record that helps your healthcare provider recommend proven treatments tailored to your situation.
  • Keep a daily log of nausea levels, foods that trigger symptoms, times of day when it’s worst, and which doctor-approved remedies you’ve tried. Share this log with your healthcare provider at appointments to track patterns and adjust your treatment plan based on real data rather than online advice.

This research highlights concerns about health information found on YouTube and emphasizes the importance of consulting with your healthcare provider before trying any remedy for morning sickness. While some recommendations mentioned (like vitamin B6 and ginger) have scientific support, they should only be used under medical guidance during pregnancy. Never start new treatments, supplements, or herbal remedies without first discussing them with your doctor or midwife, as some may be unsafe during pregnancy. This article is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. If you’re experiencing severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider immediately.