In an exceptional breakthrough potentially providing solace for millions of women worldwide, scientists appear to have discovered the cause of morning sickness, a common condition affecting 70 to 80% of pregnant women. Despite its name, morning sickness can strike at any given time and can grow severe to the point of requiring hospitalization in some cases.
For several years, researchers have been focusing on a gene named GDF-15 and recently, a hormone of the same name has been garnering attention. In normal conditions, this hormone circulates in the body. However, during pregnancy, an elevated level of this hormone has been associated with heightened experiences of nausea and vomiting.
Interestingly, the study has unearthed that individuals who have had high exposure to this hormone prior to pregnancy are somewhat desensitized to it. Consequently, they do not experience the same level of nausea and vomiting associated with higher hormone levels during pregnancy that others do who haven't had the exposure prior.
Potential treatment methods are now surfacing, based on these findings. One of the strategies could be to block the effects of this hormone in the brain during pregnancy. Alternatively, in people who have suffered severe morning sickness in a previous pregnancy, increasing the hormone to boost their tolerance prior to their next pregnancy could mitigate the impact of this condition.
These possibilities, however, need rigorous research and safety checks before they can be applied to the real world.
As common as morning sickness is, severe forms of the condition, such as hyperemesis gravidarum which affects about 2% of pregnant individuals, is often overlooked in the medical community. Besides motor discomfort, hyperemesis gravidarum can cause severe harm, leading to dehydration, weight loss, and in extreme cases, miscarriage.
The notch of progress made in understanding the cause of morning sickness is a significant stride in enhancing the treatment and prevention of this common but under-researched affliction.
