Important Cause of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy Has Been Identified

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) occurs in most women to some degree. As many as 3% of women develop severe NVP, known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Previous studies have indicated that a hormone called growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) might play a role in NVP.

Using a combination of genomics, studies of pregnant and nonpregnant women, and studies in mice, researchers showed that, during pregnancy, most of this hormone is produced by the placenta and fetus. They also confirmed earlier reports that levels of GDF15 are higher in women with NVP and HG than in women without NVP and that a center in the brainstem that causes nausea and vomiting has a specific receptor for GDF15. More interesting, they show that women with higher l…