Morning sickness may be good news
MORNING sickness is linked to a lower risk of miscarriage, according to new research that suggests a woman’s nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy may have protective effects for the foetus.
Between 50% and 80% of pregnant women report feeling nauseous or experienced vomiting during their first trimester, said the findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.
The condition is often called “morning sickness,” though it can affect women at all times of the day and night.
In a study of 797 women, both feelings of nausea, and nausea with vomiting, were associated with a 50% to 75% reduction in the risk of pregnancy loss, said the report, which was led by Enrique Schisterman of the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The women in the study had all had one or two prior pregnancy losses. They tracked their nausea symptoms in a diary, and their pregnancies were confirmed by urine tests.
Prior research has also suggested that nausea and vomiting are linked to a lower risk for pregnancy loss.
Some experts believe this is because feelings of nausea may encourage a healthy pregnancy by leading women to eat less, thereby reducing the risk of exposing the foetus to toxins.
The reduction in food intake also appears to lower levels of circulating insulin and encourage growth of the placenta, research has shown.
The new study, however, did not delve into reasons why nausea and vomiting may lower the risk of miscarriage. Researchers advised that further studies need to be done in order to fully explore this link. – AFP-Relaxnews
