According to the NHS, sickness in pregnancy, also known as ‘morning sickness’ is very common with around 8 out of every 10 pregnant people experiencing nausea, vomiting or both during pregnancy.
Until recently, the cause of this sickness wasn’t entirely clear but a study published this week in the scientific journal Nature revealed that a hormone called ‘GDF15’ is linked to the maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
This hormone is actually produced by the foetus but how sick the mother feels depends on a combination of how much of the hormone is produced by the foetus and how much exposure the mother had to the hormone prior to becoming pregnant.
How this discovery could lead to a cure for pregnancy sickness
This discovery means that potentially, pregnancy sickness could be prevented by exposing mothers to the GDF15 hormone ahead of pregnancy, building their resilience and reducing the impact of the foetus creating it.
This is exciting not only because it could prevent this symptom but because it could improve the wellbeing of both the foetus and the mother. According to the University of Cambridge, “As many as seven in ten pregnancies are affected by nausea and vomiting. In some women – thought to be between one and three in 100 pregnancies – it can be severe, even threatening the life of the fetus and the mother and requiring intravenous fluid replacement to prevent dangerous levels of dehydration.”
The university adds that this sickness is the commonest cause of admission to hospital of women in the first three months of pregnancy.
While there are some therapies and treatments to treat pregnancy sickness that can be effective, the University of Cambridge points out that, “widespread ignorance of the disorder compounded by fear of using medication in pregnancy mean that many women with this condition are inadequately treated.”
The condition isn’t taken seriously enough
After many GP trips due to vomiting up to 30 times a day, Charlotte Dowden was finally admitted to hospital and placed on the early pregnancy ward which she described as “traumatic” saying, “You’re with women who are losing their pregnancies, and you’re very much still pregnant. There’s a kind of dismissive behaviour around you of, ‘Oh, for God’s sake, you’ve just got morning sickness. That woman over there has just had a miscarriage. Pull yourself together.’”
Dowden wasn’t actually provided adequate treatment until around week 16 of her pregnancy and because her symptoms had been so severe, she was “petrified” to stop taking it until around week 37 of pregnancy.
After giving birth to her son Henry, she became involved with the charity Pregnancy Sickness support, joining around 600 volunteers who offer peer support and man telephone helplines. She is now its Chief Executive and uses her position to raise awareness of the condition among women and healthcare professionals, including pushing for the condition to be taught on all midwifery courses.