Morning Sickness in Pregnancy:
A recent breakthrough in research has shed light on a trigger and potential treatment for severe morning sickness during pregnancy.
Expectant mothers often find themselves experiencing unpleasant, and in rare cases extreme, sickness. It is estimated that nausea and vomiting affect 70-80% of pregnant women, with around 2% suffering hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), characterised by extreme sickness which can lead to dehydration, weight loss and hospitalisation.
HG’s extremities are also linked with higher levels of foetal loss, with some estimates suggesting the risk can be increased up to 37% for those with the condition. Despite this, HG is currently treated by primarily supportive care.
While therapies and methods for reducing sickness exist, this latest research may pave the way towards a better scientific understanding of HG and effective treatments for extreme cases of morning sickness.
Uncovering a Trigger:
‘Morning sickness’ is traditionally associated with hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, although the science behind this has remained relatively undefined.
This latest research – published in Nature and conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and the University of Cambridge – presents findings in both animals and humans that are contrary to these traditional beliefs.
Rather than linking morning sickness to hormone fluctuations, the research suggests that increased levels of GDF15 (a hormone produced in part by the foetus during pregnancy) could be a trigger. Using ‘mass spectrometry’ and genotyping, scientists demonstrated that those with extreme morning sickness (HG) had far higher levels of GDF15 than those without.
While GDF15 is produced outside of pregnancy, women with a rare mutation may have far lower levels outside of pregnancy than most. The research found that pregnant women who have a lower level of GDF15 prior to becoming pregnant are more likely to experience a greater impact of the hormone within their pregnancy’s first trimester, and higher levels of the hormone during pregnancy in comparison to women who don’t have naturally low levels.
In doing so, they suggest that HG could be related to women who are used to lower levels of GDF15 suddenly experiencing severe symptoms and far heightened levels of the hormone.
Treatment Potential:
While scientists involved in the study have suggested that further research is needed to fully understand the complexities of morning sickness and refine potential treatments, the study nevertheless marks a step forward in our scientific understanding and offers new avenues for potential treatments.
For those at risk of HG, the research may pave the way for potentially game changing treatments, including lowering or blocking the hormone GDF15 to reduce the chance of extreme sickness.
Next Steps:
The findings suggest that a full understanding of GDF15’s role within morning sickness and HG and potential interventions is not yet complete, yet they represent a promising step towards a more comprehensive understanding of pregnancy-related sickness.
This, coupled with ongoing advancements in scientific research, suggests an optimism that expectant mothers may soon have access to safer and more reliable options for alleviating morning sickness symptoms.
Pregnant women experiencing morning sickness should seek the advice of healthcare professionals, who can offer guidance and support.
