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Pregnant women using nicotine patches and gum to help kick their smoking habits may be harming their unborn babies, scientists claim.

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Morning sickness can occur at any time of the day and can make women feel terrible throughout the early stages of their pregnancy. But there may be benefits to it, too.

Dr Peter Bowen-Simpkins, consultant obstetrician and medical director of the London Women’s Clinic, says: “It is almost always a positive sign that the pregnancy is progressing well.

“The sickness is thought to be due to a rise in hormone levels. It normally occurs during weeks six and eight of pregnancy, when the placenta takes over production of hormones from the ovaries.

“It generally continues until around 12 or 14 weeks, but if it stops before, it can - although not always - be a sign that all is not well.”

What’s more, in 2009, researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto said morning sickness could be a sign that a baby is developing a high IQ.

Dr Gideon Koren, who led the study, says: “It’s the hormones secreted by the placenta that cause you to feel yucky. But, on the other hand, they probably confer better conditions for the baby,” he says. “Women suffer for it, but at least it’s for a good cause.”

Natural cures for morning sickness

* Ginger has long been a favourite to beat any form of nausea. A review of seven trials of 862 pregnant women published in Obstetric and Gynaecology in 2005 concluded that ginger may help alleviate morning sickness.

In one study, 27 women who were hospitalised due to severe morning sickness took 250mg of dried ginger four times daily for four days and felt better than those given a placebo.

“You can try drinking ginger tea or eating crystallised ginger, but eating ginger nut biscuits is unlikely to be enough,” says Dr Bowen-Simpkins. “You would need to eat around a kilogram of them to get enough ginger to do anything.”

* Nibble on something before you get out of bed. “Starchy foods, such as dry biscuits, are good,” says Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP in London with a special interest in women’s health. “Keep a supply of whatever you feel you can manage by your bed. Many women find that just eating something helps stave off that feeling of sickness.”

However, only eat little and often as big meals can increase nausea.

* Acupressure bands, which are worn round the wrist, are said to stimulate an acupuncture point that sends messages to the brain to block the feeling of nausea.

In a study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 2001, researchers studied 60 women suffering from morning sickness. They found those who wore wristbands to stimulate the specific acupuncture point experienced around 60 percent less nausea and vomiting than women who were given a placebo band or none at all.

* Bananas are also said to help with morning sickness. They are a source of vitamin B6, which has, in some studies, been found to help alleviate the condition. - Daily Mail