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Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy linked to hormone from fetus

Maternal sensitivity to a hormone produced by the fetus might underlie the risk of severe nausea and vomiting in human pregnancy — a finding that could open up strategies for the treatment of this debilitating condition.
  1. Alice E. Hughes

    1. Alice E. Hughes is in the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.

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  2. Rachel M. Freathy

    1. Rachel M. Freathy is in the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.

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Nausea and vomiting are reported in about two-thirds of pregnancies1. Although pregnancy sickness is often mild and transient, some people experience persistent and severe nausea and vomiting that presents a serious health problem. This condition, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), occurs in 0.3–3% of pregnancies2 and can cause dehydration, nutrient deficiencies and weight loss. It frequently leads to hospitalization, and, at its most extreme, can result in termination of wanted pregnancies and maternal death. Even though excessive vomiting in pregnancy has been recognized for centuries3,4, the cause of HG has remained elusive. Writing in Nature, Fejzo et al.5 describe a link between sickness during pregnancy and sensitivity to a hormone called growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). The findings open up potential avenues for research aimed at preventing or treating HG.

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Nature 625, 670-671 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03940-4

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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