From WP, it appears to be not fully understood, but is linked to cell growth, inflammation regulation, and some other processes. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDF15 Kinda makes sense then, a...
From WP, it appears to be not fully understood, but is linked to cell growth, inflammation regulation, and some other processes.
Kinda makes sense then, a growing baby is growing a ton of new cells and tissues, far more than any adult will, so the hormone is being expressed in far greater quantities.
The study revealed that a hormone produced by the foetus is the trigger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, which in extreme cases can require hospital treatment. Crucially, women who have naturally low levels of the hormone prior to pregnancy tend to be more sensitive to the surge of the hormone, called GDF15, in the first trimester, the research suggests.
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Nausea and vomiting affect about 80% of women at some point during pregnancy. About 2% of women, including Catherine, the Princess of Wales, experience an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which can lead to weight loss, dehydration and hospitalisation. Until now, however, the underlying cause of pregnancy sickness had been unclear.
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GDF15 is made at low levels in all tissues outside pregnancy. However, women with a rare mutation in the gene that codes for GDF15 have unusually low levels of the hormone outside pregnancy.
The study, published in Nature, shows that these women are at greater risk of HG during pregnancy, when they are suddenly exposed to high levels of GDF15. But if their foetus also carries the mutation, they are less likely to experience severe symptoms.
Similarly, patients with beta thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes chronically high levels of GDF15, are largely protected against pregnancy sickness.
I'm more curious about why the foetus releases this hormone. Making it's mother vomit can't be without reason, can it?
From WP, it appears to be not fully understood, but is linked to cell growth, inflammation regulation, and some other processes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDF15
Kinda makes sense then, a growing baby is growing a ton of new cells and tissues, far more than any adult will, so the hormone is being expressed in far greater quantities.
From the article:
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