According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, scientists believe they may have finally discovered the root cause of morning sickness. It’s an uncomfortable condition that affects many pregnant women, especially during the first three months of pregnancy. And despite its name, the vomit-inducing nausea of morning sickness can occur at any time. In extreme cases, morning sickness can even progress into hyperemesis gravidarum — a severe form of vomit-inducing nausea that can require hospitalization.
“The symptoms of HG usually appear between 4-6 weeks of pregnancy and may peak between 9-13 weeks. Most women receive some relief between weeks 14-20, although up to 20 percent of women may require care for hyperemesis throughout the rest of their pregnancy. There is no known prevention of hyperemesis gravidarum but you can take comfort in knowing that there are ways to manage it.”
According to the authors of the peer-reviewed study, morning sickness in pregnant women may be caused by a sensitivity to a hormone known as GDF15.
While normally produced at low levels in the body, when pregnant, women often receive additional waves of the hormone from their growing fetus. Researchers found that production of GDF15 often increased significantly in pregnant women within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, during the period of pregnancy when morning sickness is most often reported.
