One hormone could be the key that unlocks a cure for morning sickness

The nausea and vomiting that, in extreme cases, can endanger mothers and babies might soon be just a memory

- Dr Michelle Griffin

We've all experienced vomiting at some stage in our lives, whether it's from a nasty bout of food poisoning or the well-known norovirus that periodically spreads through the population. And everyone can agree that it's horrendous.

But imagine if ongoing nausea and vomiting was expected for a significant phase in your life and how that would affect you physically, mentally and emotionally. This is the reality for the four in five women who develop nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Even in milder cases, this means unpleasant symptoms such as queasiness, lack of appetite and throwing up.

For the 3% of women who develop a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, things are even worse, requiring hospital admission and treatment.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a collection of symptoms including such severe nausea and vomiting that a woman can't normally eat or drink, resulting in dehydration, nutrient deficiency and weight loss putting the lives of both mother and baby at risk. According to the Office of National Statistics, this led to nearly 20,000 women being admitted to hospital in 2022 in the UK alone.