PARIS: A hormone produced by the human fetus is to blame for morning sickness in pregnant women, a study has found, paving the way to possible prevention and treatment. Nausea and vomiting affect approximately 70 percent of pregnant women, said the study published last week in the journal "Nature" by researchers in the United Kingdom, the United States and Sri Lanka. In its worst form — hyperemesis gravidarum — the nausea is so severe that women are unable to eat or drink normally. "The culprit is a hormone produced by the fetus — a protein known as GDF15," the University of Cambridge said. "But how sick the mother feels depends on a combination of how much of the hormone is produced by the fetus and how much exposure the mother had to this hormone before becoming pregnant."

Source: Manila Times December 19, 2023 22:02 UTC