• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
U Magazine

U Magazine

U Magazine
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Centennial Campaign for UCLA Issue
  • Browse U Magazine
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

U Magazine

Browse U Magazine

  1. Home
  2. Browse U Magazine
Share this
The Cutting Edge

In Utero Exposure to Extreme Morning Sickness May Harm Offspring

  Extreme Morning Sickness May Harm Offspring

Illustration: Maja Moden

Women who experience extreme morning sickness during pregnancy are three times more likely to have children with developmental deficits — including attention disorders and language and speech delays — than women who have “normal” nausea and vomiting, a UCLA study found. The research was the first to look specifically at the relationship between in utero exposure to extreme morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), and childhood neurologic developmental outcomes.

Marlena Fejzo, PhD, associate researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says the correlation was especially apparent in women whose HG symptoms began prior to five-weeks gestation. “These findings show that it is vital to take HG seriously so these pregnant women can get nutritional support right away,” Dr. Fejzo says. “An encouraging result is that we did not find any association with medications to treat this disorder and neurodevelopmental delays, so I speculate that the neurodevelopmental outcomes are more likely caused by nutrient deficiency early in pregnancy rather than medication.”

The cause of HG is unknown, and the symptoms are intense — including continuous nausea and vomiting so violent that it can cause detached retinas, blown eardrums, cracked ribs and torn esophagi. The symptoms can last for a month or two or for the entire pregnancy.
Children born to women with HG in the study had attention and sensory disorders and learning, speech and language delays and were 3.28 times more likely than the others to have neurodevelopmental delays. “There is an urgent need to address whether or not aggressive treatment that includes vitamin and nutrient supplementation in women with early symptoms of severe nausea and vomiting decreases that risk of neurodevelopmental delay,” Dr. Fejzo says.

Previous studies have shown that HG is associated with low-birth-weight babies, small size for gestational age and preterm births. Dr. Fejzo showed previously that children born to mothers who had extreme morning sickness were 3.6 times more likely to have behavioral or emotional disorders as adults.

Dr. Fejzo and her team are investigating the genetic basis of HG, and they hope to determine whether earlier treatment in women with symptoms limits or prevents the adverse outcomes identified in the study. “A significant increase in neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders in children exposed to HG in utero was demonstrated, which suggests HG may be linked to lifelong effects on the exposed fetus,” the study states. “The cause for this is unknown but may be due to maternal stress, abnormal hormone levels during fetal development and/or maternal-newborn bonding after birth or malnutrition and vitamin deficiency.”

“Neurodevelopmental Delay in Children Exposed In Utero to Hyperemesis Gravidarum,” European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, June 2015


Previous
Mental-training Exercises Help Mitigate Effects of “Chemo Brain”
Next
Nanotechnology Platform Shows Promise for Treating Pancreatic Cancer


YOU ARE VIEWING

Summer 2015

Summer 2015
E-Brochure
Printable PDF
IN THIS ISSUE
  • United We Stand
  • Stories of Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Brain Abnormalities Similar in People with Anorexia and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Drug That Can Head Off Diabetes Is Rarely Used
  • Characteristic Patterns of Proteins Found in Brains of Retired NFL Players Who Suffered Concussions
  • Scientists Patent Method for Finding Microscopic Needle in a Haystack
  • Mental-training Exercises Help Mitigate Effects of “Chemo Brain”
  • In Utero Exposure to Extreme Morning Sickness May Harm Offspring
  • Nanotechnology Platform Shows Promise for Treating Pancreatic Cancer
  • Blood-based Test for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Electroconvulsive Therapy Changes Key Areas of the Brain That Play Roles in Memory and Emotion
  • ADAPT Program: Tailored Care to Address Special Needs
  • On the Trail of a Gene Mutation
  • Safe Haven
  • Interior Life
  • Balancing Act
  • Awards/Honors
  • In Memoriam
  • Sky’s the Limit
  • Postcard from Kenya
  • A Home-grown Team Battles Melanoma
  • In His Own Words: Scott Lee, MD ’02
  • Taste for a Cure Celebrates 20th Anniversary
  • Great Minds Gala Supports Outstanding Young Researchers
  • UCLA Health Forms Partnership with Sound Body Sound Mind Foundation
  • New Mobile App Focuses on Tools for Foster Families
  • Dedicated to a Cure for Pancreatic Cancer
  • Turning Sorrow into Laughter
  • Memorial Golf Tournament Supports Cancer Research
  • David and Susan Wilstein Pledge Support for Rehabilitation Services
  • Chairs of Distinction
  • Gifts
  • Awards/Honors: HeartRhythm Honors UCLA Cardiologist
  • Out of Africa: An Interview with Dr. Matthew Waxman
  • A Place to Turn for Help
  • Healing Space
  • Out of Africa
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth

Learn more about myUCLAhealth