Scientists have discovered why many pregnant women experience morning sickness. A hormone that the fetus produces can cause nausea and vomiting in the mother. This is evident from research published earlier this week. This allows a more targeted search for a possible medicine against nausea during pregnancy.
The hormone that can cause nausea and vomiting, especially in the first trimester, is called GDF15 and is produced by the fetus. “The baby growing in the womb produces this hormone at levels that the mother is not used to. The more sensitive she is to this hormone, the sicker she will become. Because we now know this, it gives us an idea of how we can prevent this,” said study leader Stephen O’Rahilly to the British daily newspaper The Guardian.
Very sick
About 80 percent of women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. About 2 percent experience an extreme form of nausea called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Women suffering from HG may lose a lot of weight, become dehydrated, and in the worst cases, need to be hospitalized. For example, British Princess Kate Middleton suffered from HG.
“Most women who become pregnant will experience nausea at some point. While this is unpleasant, it can be much worse for some women,” said O’Rahilly.
The cause of morning sickness was until now unclear. This research suggests that lowering or blocking the hormone GDF15 may help prevent nausea and vomiting. Another option is to expose women to the hormone before pregnancy so that the transition is less pronounced when a large dose of this hormone suddenly enters the fetus.
GDF15 is a body’s own hormone. Outside of pregnancy, a small dose of this hormone is produced in all tissues of the body. Women who naturally have a low dose of GDF15 in their bodies prior to pregnancy are often more sensitive to the increase in this hormone.
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2023-12-15 19:00:30
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