Discovery of Morning Sickness Cause by Scientists.
Researchers have identified the hormone GDF15 as the likely cause of morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of morning sickness. GDF15 levels surge during pregnancy, and some women are more sensitive to the hormone than others. The researchers found that higher circulating levels of GDF15 in maternal blood are associated with an increased risk of HG. They also suggest that the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is the result of the interaction of fetal-derived GDF15 and the mother's sensitivity to this peptide, which is substantially determined by her prior exposure to the hormone. More research is needed to flesh out this hypothesis, but the hope is that boosting GDF15 levels before pregnancy could help prevent HG, whilst lowering them during pregnancy might ward off nausea.