In a recent discovery that has overturned previous beliefs about the causes and treatment of HG (Hyperemesis Gravidarum), researchers have identified the hormone responsible for the condition. This finding challenges the longstanding belief that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was the primary cause of HG, leading to a new understanding of the condition and its treatment options.
The discovery was made when researchers found that women with HG may have lower levels of the nausea-and-vomiting hormone GDF15 in their blood before pregnancy, making them more sensitive to it when it rises rapidly during pregnancy. This finding has shifted the focus from hCG and provided a new direction for research and treatment efforts.
Leading the charge in this field of study is Ms. Fejzo, who holds a doctorate in genetics and is a clinical assistant professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. She also serves as a science advisor for and board member of the Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation.
The previous belief that hCG was responsible for HG has led to doctors “blaming” pregnant women and labeling HG as a psychosomatic rather than a biological condition. However, Ms. Fejzo posits that morning sickness likely provided pregnant women with a survival advantage in the days when scavenging for food carried significant risks. In these early days of human history, venturing out to search for food could have been extremely dangerous due to potential injuries, infections, or encounters with predators. As a result, the body may have evolved to react more strongly to certain hormones, like GDF15, to minimize the need for women to expose themselves to these dangers early in pregnancy when the nutritional demands of the fetus were lower.
Ms. Fejzo is currently serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Harmonia Healthcare, a new clinic in Red Bank, New Jersey, dedicated to treating women with HG and setting up the infrastructure for more research and clinical trials. Similar clinics are expected to open in Philadelphia and New York in the coming months.
In addition to her work at Harmonia Healthcare, Ms. Fejzo is also seeking funding for a trial aimed at increasing pre-pregnancy GDF15 levels in patients at high risk for HG. This approach would seek to desensitize these patients to the hormone, similar to how people are desensitized to allergens.
As research continues to unfold, this newfound understanding of the hormonal basis of HG offers hope for improved treatment options and a better quality of life for women suffering from this debilitating condition.