Doctors may be more likely to prescribe a certain anti-nausea drug to pregnant women who suffer morning sickness.

This, after the first large study showing that women aren't risking harm to their babies if they take the drug.

Researchers looked back at nearly 82,000 births in Israel, where the drug (metoclopramide) is commonly used. It found no differences in birth defects or other problems in newborns of women, whether or not they took the drug. It's sold as Reglan, and also in generic form.

Currently, no drugs are approved in the U.S. for morning sickness, which plagues most women early in pregnancy.

Doctors sometimes use medicines that have been approved for other types of nausea that are thought to be safe in pregnancy -- if simpler strategies such as eating crackers or eating frequent, small meals don't do the trick.

Results of the study appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)