Some good news for nauseated pregnant women: Morning sickness may not be fun, but it’s linked to a 50 percent lower risk of miscarriage, according to a new study.
Researchers found that women with nausea early on in their pregnancies were 50 percent less likely to have a miscarriage or stillbirth than those who felt great during the first few months, the Associated Press reports. The study, which was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, revealed that women who suffered from nausea alone (as opposed to nausea and vomiting) saw the strongest benefits.
Scientists from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development examined 800 women who had suffered at least one miscarriage and became pregnant again. More than half of the women kept daily diaries for the first eight weeks of pregnancy, and of that group, the researchers determined that those with nausea were 50 to 75 percent less likely to suffer pregnancy loss.
Lead study author Dr. Stefanie Hinkle told the AP that it’s unclear how exactly morning sickness was related to the chance of miscarriage, or whether the findings applied to first-time pregnancies. She added, however, that not feeling nauseous during pregnancy isn’t necessarily a bad sign.
“Every pregnancy is different and just because they don’t have symptoms doesn’t mean they’re going to have a pregnancy loss,” Hinkle told the AP.
