Morning Sickness in Pregnancy
Usually begins from week 4 of pregnancy to week 12-14… but can extend longer. Symptoms can be mild to severe nausea and associated with vomiting.
Toronto Star Study:
A new study out of the Hospital for Sick Children found babies whose mothers experienced morning sickness later tested a few IQ points higher than children of mothers who had nausea-free pregnancies.
“In a very popular way it kind of says that this suffering is for a good cause,” said Dr. Gideon Koren, a top Sick Kids pediatrician and the senior study author. “So it’s very reassuring to know that your severe experience right now is likely to have a good outcome.”
“More severe morning sickness as we measure the symptoms predicted better brain development,” said Koren, who heads the hospital’s Motherisk program.
The Sick Kids study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, looked at 121 women who were divided about equally into three groups.
One group was comprised of mothers who had morning sickness and took nothing for it; another of women who took a common antinausea drug and a third who were nausea free.
Children of mothers in both morning sickness groups were found to have IQ an average three to four points higher than those born of mothers in the symptom-free group when they were tested between the ages of 3 and 7.
“It’s not that the kids of women who did not have morning sickness were mentally (deficient) or anything like that,” Koren says. “But on a population level (the IQ difference) meant that the morning sickness itself confers better brain development.”
How Can Naturopathic Medicine Help!
Nutrition: Eating every 3 hours is important at trying to control sugar levels which can cause the nausea to feel worse.
Supplements: Combination of ginger and vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce symptoms of nausea. Also including a good balance of EPA/DHA with your fish oil can also help increase your child’s IQ.
Acupuncture: A weekly protocol until symptoms subside can make nausea more manageable.
Homeopathy: Acute remedies can be used to manage symptoms.
Ask Dr. Maria Papasodaro, your naturopathic doctor how to begin your journey to wellness and begin your healthy pregnancy!