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Study explains why morning sickness differs between pregnant woman
An intriguing new study has revealed why some women suffer from extreme morning sickness more than others during pregnancy.
Up to 80% of women suffer from extreme nausea during pregnancy, with around 50% having routine bouts of vomiting in what is commonly known as morning sickness although parents know all too well that these feelings can come at any point during the day. Now, scientists have reported that they might now know why morning sickness seems to impact some women more than others.
Why do some women suffer from morning sickness more than others?
Whilst morning sickness impacts the vast majority of people at some point during their pregnancy, around 3% of pregnant people have morning sickness so severe that they are physically unable to eat or drink at all.
This is a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and whilst scientists have known for some time that this was caused by a hormone imbalance in the body, a new study has found that a specific protein mostly produced by fetuses called GDF15 could be to blame.
Helmed by researchers from Cambridge University and the University of Southern California, the new study reports that patients who had severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy had higher levels of this protein than those without morning sickness symptoms.
They also found that some women possess a variant of the protein which causes their bodies to naturally produce lower levels of GDF15 than normal. This means that when a baby produces so much of the protein that it floods the parents system, their body doesnt know how to handle it; ergo, morning sickness.
So when youre met with those high levels in early pregnancy, youre highly sensitive to them, more than the average person, explained one of the researchers.
The next step is to find out if GDF15 is a major player for different ethnic groups, since this study predominantly sampled pregnant people of European descent.
The scientists also want to see what effect blocking the protein might impact on fetal development, and if desensitizing people before pregnancy could potentially help prevent severe morning sickness.
Weve got, potentially, a very targeted therapy versus a lot of other treatments, which are like taking a hammer to a problem. Now, we potentially will have an X-Acto knife that we can use.
Speaking to Science News on the psychological impact of this research, gynecologist and obstetrician Jone Trovik shared:
Most problematic has been that it has been considered to be a psychological cause, which has been widely refuted. Women have been told, Maybe you dont want this pregnancy. Maybe youre angry with your husband. [This study offers] evidence that this is a real disease.
Little lifestyle changes can go a long way to helping morning sickness
Whilst small lifestyle changes can go a long way in helping to stave off morning sickness, you should remember that the first point of call should always be your midwife, physician, or doctor.
That being said, there are plenty of little alterations that you can make to your day-to-day life to help fight morning sickness:
- Get plenty of rest – tiredness can make nausea so much worse than it needs to be.
- Avoid foods and/or smells that make you feel nauseous.
- Start your day with easy foods like dry toast or a plain biscuit.
- Sat small, frequent meals of plain foods, high in carbohydrates and low in fats like bread, rice, and pasta
- Eat cold foods rather than hot ones; some women report that the smell of hot food is enough to trigger bouts of nausea.
- Drink plenty of fluids and take smaller sips at regular intervals them little and often may help prevent vomiting)
- Eat foods or drinks containing ginger; whilst there’s some evidence that ginger may help, always check with your midwife before taking ginger supplements during pregnancy
- Try acupressure; there’s some evidence that applying pressure on your wrist or forearm may help relieve symptoms of nausea
If you are experiencing morning sickness on a regular basis, consult an associated medical professional before taking supplements or altering your diet.
