London - If you’re pregnant and suffering from morning sickness, look on the bright side – it may mean your baby will be healthier and more intelligent.
The offspring of mothers who feel nauseous during pregnancy are likely to have fewer birth defects and better long-term development than those born to women who did not feel ill while expecting, according to a study.
Their mums are also likely to have fewer miscarriages, the Canadian research claims, offering some comfort to those mothers-to-be who endure bouts of vomiting and queasiness.
Morning sickness affects up to 85 percent of mothers and it is thought to be caused by rapid increases in gonadotropin, a hormone released by the placenta.
The Duchess of Cambridge famously suffered so badly from morning sickness while pregnant with Prince George that she had to be admitted to hospital. For the new study, researchers looked at mothers who suffered from morning sickness of varying severity and found that the benefits applied whether they were mildly affected or among the more serious cases.
They analysed data from ten separate studies covering 850 000 pregnant women in five countries between 1992 and 2012.
The findings showed that feeling sick and vomiting were linked to lower risk of a low birth weight or a short body length.
Mothers who suffered nausea also had fewer premature births – 6.4 percent compared with 9.5 percent for mums-to-be who felt well. The risk of miscarriage was also more than three times higher in women who did not experience morning sickness.
The risk of birth defects was reduced by between 30 percent and 80 percent. In particular, women aged 35 or older seemed to benefit from what the researchers called the ‘protective effects’ of the illness.
Babies born to mothers in the Canadian study tested years later for intelligence scored higher for IQ, language and overall behaviour than those of mothers who did not feel unwell.
For centuries, women have tried all manner of cures to beat morning sickness, from ginger tea to vitamins or antacids, and from sugar solutions to anti- sickness pills.
But previous studies concluded that there may actually be no cure at all and the discomfort simply had to be accepted as part of being pregnant.
The new research by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, which was published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology, looked at the impact of drugs taken to mitigate nausea and vomiting and found that they did not alter the positive effects linked to morning sickness.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s extreme form of sickness is known as hyperemesis gravidarum and affects one birth in 50. Other sufferers include Atomic Kitten star Jenny Frost and TV presenter Kirstie Allsop.
Celebrities to have experienced normal levels of nausea include Oscar-winner Kate Winslet, who said coping with the illness and swollen ankles while pregnant became “quite a performance”.
Singer Mariah Carey said she hated morning sickness because throwing up is “bad for your voice”, while Beyonce struggled with it when she headlined the Glastonbury Festival in 2011.
Doctors say mothers who are suffering should put their feet up and rest. Pregnant women should also avoid hot places and take gentle exercise. - Daily Mail