Nausea and Vomiting In Pregnancy: Lower Cancer Risk

Pregnancy Over 40, Nausea and Vomiting May Be A Good Sign Even Though It Doesn't Feel Like It!

Well...maybe that horrible nausea and vomiting I experience my entire first trimester has a positive side.  I recall thinking..."I don't know if I can do this" because I was basically confined to a recliner for three months - I honestly consider nausea to be a form of pain.

My site: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy and fertility over 40

 I found an interesting article that talks about a possible correlation between nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and a reduced risk of cancer. Although more research needs to be done, at least there is a possible upside to this extremely unpleasant symptom of early pregnancy. Read more:

Although the exact mechanism responsible for causing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy has yet to be pinpointed, it likely is a result of changing levels of ovarian and placental hormone production, which may include higher circulating levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin," said David Jaworowicz, Jr., first author on the study.

"In vitro studies have shown that this hormone possesses several activities that have potential protective effects against cancer cells," said Jaworowicz, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Social Preventive Medicine in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions
from: 
www.sciencedaily.com

NAUSEA AND VOMITING IN PREGNANCY: HYPEREMISIS GRAVIDARUM

Pregnancy Over 40 and Severe Nausea and Vomiting

You've probably already heard of hyperemesis gravidarum, but if you haven't, that's a fancy way of saying severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
 I didn't have this condition, but I did have fairly severe nausea with some vomiting. I barely left the house my entire first trimester. Here is a site devoted to helping women with hyperemesis gravidarum:

From the article:

SEE ALSO:  PREGNANCY OVER 40 (getpregnantover40.com)

There are numerous theories regarding the etiology of hyperemesis gravidarum. Unfortunately, HG is not fully understood and conclusive research on its potential cause is rare. New theories and findings emerge every year, substantiating that it is a complex physiological disease likely caused by multiple factors.

Diagnosis is usually made by measuring weight loss, checking for ketones, and assessing the overall condition of the mother. If she meets the standard criteria and is having difficulty performing her daily activities, medications and/or other treatments are typically offered.

Treating HG is very challenging and early intervention is critical. HG is a multifaceted disease that should be approached with a broad view of possible etiologies and complications. When treating mothers with HG, preventing and correcting nutritional deficiencies is a high priority to promote a healthy outcome for mother and child.

Most studies examining the risks and outcomes for a pregnant woman with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy find no detrimental effects long-term for milder cases. Those with more severe symptoms that lead to complications, severe weight loss, and/or prolonged nausea and vomiting are at greatest risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and child. The risk increases if medical intervention is inadequate or delayed.

The list of potential complications due to repeated vomiting or severe nausea is extensive, all of which may worsen symptoms. Common complications from nausea and vomiting include debilitating fatigue, gastric irritation, ketosis, and malnutrition. Aggressive care early in pregnancy is very important to prevent these and more life-threatening complications such as central pontine myolinolysis or Wernicke's encephalopathy. After pregnancy and in preparation of future ones, it is important to address any resulting physical and psychological complications.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum impacts societies, families and individuals. Recent, conservative estimations suggest HG costs nearly $200 million annually just for inpatient hospitalization. Considering many women are treated outside the hospital to save costs, the actual cost is likely many times greater. Beyond financial impact, many family relationships dissolve and future family plans are almost always limited. Women often lose their employment because of HG, and women are frequently undertreated and left feeling stigmatized by a disease erroneously presumed to be psychological.
 www.hyperemesis.org

Morning Sickness...A Good Thing

Nausea and Vomiting In Pregnancy

I get nauseated just thinking about how sick I was my first three months of pregnancy. I keep hearing how morning sickness is a good thing even though it doesn't feel that way.
See also: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy and fertility over 40 and preventing miscarriage
 This article talks about the evolutionary connection with pregnancy nausea:

From the article:

The idea is that a pregnant woman afflicted with nausea and vomiting will be unlikely to eat certain foods that may be damaging to her fetus when its major organ systems are developing. Organ development takes place during the first three months of pregnancy, which is when morning sickness is most prominent. ''There is an obvious -- indeed striking -- correspondence between the sensitive periods in embryonic organogenesis and the peak occurrence of N.V.P.,'' the scientists wrote.

At this time, too, the Cornell biologists noted, a pregnant woman's immune system is naturally suppressed to keep her from rejecting the fetus as a foreign tissue. But immune suppression renders her more susceptible to food-borne parasites and microorganisms and the toxins they produce, so N.V.P. would protect her, too. 
from:
www.nytimes.com

Good News About Morning Sickness!

Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting In Pregnancy

Maybe all that nausea and vomiting has a payoff!   I've heard that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy may actually mean that you have strong and healthy hormones.
See also: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy symptoms and strange early pregnancy symptoms
According to this article, the offspring of women that suffer morning sickness may have a higher IQ! That certainly makes me feel better since I was totally incapacitated by my morning sickness for the first three months of my pregnancy. Read more:

The same hormones which make expectant mothers feel ill could help their baby's development, doctors believe.

Children were more likely to do better in intelligence tests if their mothers had experienced nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

The findings, published online in The Journal of Paediatrics and reported by New Scientist magazine, show that the severity of the sickness is a significant predictor of higher scores.

Dr Irena Nulman, from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, said: "Our findings suggest an association between morning sickness and improved neurodevelopment in the offspring."

She said that more research was needed to understand the range of effects caused by the common condition.

"Morning sickness is a widespread and puzzling physiological phenomenon that has yet to be sufficiently studied," she said. 
from telegraph.co.uk

Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Nausea and Vomiting In Pregnancy - Hyperemisis

I've always wondered why some women (like me) get terribly sick with pregnancy and other women sail through feeling great the whole time.
See: www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy over 40 and strange symptoms of pregnancy 
  I've heard all of this nausea could be anything from a reaction to your hormones to a pre-existing intestinal bacteria.   Here is an article that explains some possible causes of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (scroll down to see article):

From the article:

"While the exact cause of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy is not understood, there may be a link between relaxation of the muscle fibers within the walls of the stomach muscle. Other researchers have noticed changes in bacteria counts in women who have morning sickness. They have found higher than normal levels of a bacteria called helicobacter pylori, which also seems to cause ulcers. Research is ongoing to see if certain antibiotics will treat hyperemesis. Others have found a link to the chemical serotonin, and to elevated levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG. For example, patients with twins or triplets have higher levels of HCG, and are more likely to have vomiting during pregnancy. There is also a higher chance of having severe nausea and vomiting, called "hyperemesis gravidarum," in patients with uncontrolled thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism). "

from:  obgyn.net

Morning Sickness - Blame It On Evolution?

Morning Sickness, Causes and Toxins

I don't know if morning sickness runs in my family.  I was terribly nauseated the entire first trimester when I was pregnant with my daughter.  I had to sit in a recliner all day since laying down made it worse.
See www.getpregnantover40.com for more on pregnancy foods and fertility foods
 My mother doesn't really remember, and I never had the opportunity to ask my grandmothers (and both have passed away). However, there may be an "evolutionary" reason we experience morning sickness. The following article explains more:

Blame that Morning Sickness on Your Ancient Ancestors, Karen Barrow (www.sciencedaily.healthology.com)

From the article:


To further look at this phenomenon, Roberts then compared only those women from Europe and North America and pinpointed the types of foods that seem to trigger the symptoms of morning sickness: sugars, alcohol and meat. Additionally, women who ate high amounts of cereal-based products tended to have lower-than-average rates of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

The researchers theorize that women's bodies have slowly developed an aversion to sugar, alcohol and meat because all of these foods contain high levels of toxins that could be potentially dangerous to a mother and her child. Cereals, on the other hand, tend to contain a very low level of toxins, so they could possibly be safer for a woman to eat. Remember, however, that these toxins may not pose the same hazard now that they did in the days of ancient man.