New discovery could lead to new morning sickness treatment for pregnant women, researchers say

BOSTON – Morning sickness is one of the most unpleasant side effects of pregnancy, but researchers may be one step closer to preventing it.

About 7 in 10 pregnant women experience morning sickness but in some, the nausea and vomiting are so severe, it causes life-threatening dehydration requiring hospitalization.  

Now, researchers at the University of Southern California and in the U.K. have found that higher levels in the mother's blood of a single hormone called GDF-15 produced by the growing fetus may be responsible.  

They also found that people with low levels of the hormone when they're not pregnant may be more likely to develop significant morning sickness when they are.  

They're hoping to use this knowledge to develop more effective morning sickness treatments.

In:
• Boston

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Twitter Facebook