Morning Sickness of Moms Might Increase Their Kids’ IQs!

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Many pregnant women are going to experience a difficult process in their lifetime but it is a moment to be joyful and thankful for as they will finally have their child, starting their way in building their family life. 

But, there are most of the expectant mothers out there who are constantly suffering this thing called morning sickness. Some women wish and hope that they will not experience this kind of thing. Is morning sickness really a good thing? 

Today, we will learn more about the characteristics and significance of morning sickness in pregnant women and the effect of morning sickness to child’s brain development.

Morning Sickness—Characteristics and Significance

Pregnant women may experience a form of protection that is outside their control and this event is often unpleasant and irritating. This is well-known as morning sickness or pregnancy sickness which is an unaccustomed queasiness or even vomiting that can happen at any time of the day, not just in the morning. It often includes sensitivity to unusual flavors and strong smells, particularly smells in food. 

According to one theory, the fatigue and nausea that many women suffer during early pregnancy are another means of protecting the embryo and young fetus. These symptoms peak during the baby’s most vulnerable phase, the time when all of its organs are starting to form. Fatigue causes the woman to avoid doing risky physical activities while morning sickness tends to keep her diet bland, helping her to avoid natural toxins present in spoiled or exotic foods. 

These symptoms are caused by the placental hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) which can be detected in the mother’s blood as early as one week after conception. HCG levels rise rapidly during early pregnancy , reach a peak around ten weeks (8 weeks post conception), then rapidly decline until about midgestation, much as the nausea and fatigue of pregnancy wax and wane in many women. 

Although morning sickness appears to be a miserable thing to occur in every expectant mothers out there, it is actually considered as a vital sign in pregnancy, because it means that the placenta is developing well. Additionally, several studies have found that women who are having nausea are less likely to miscarry that those who don’t. 

The Effect of Morning Sickness to Child’s Brain Development

Studies have shown that there exists protective effects of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy against adverse fetal outcome. The analysis established by the researchers reveals a consistent favorable effect of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy in connection about the rates of miscarriages, congenital malformations, prematurity, and developmental achievements. It’s been said that protective effects were more prominent in women who are experiencing moderate-severe symptoms of morning sickness than among those with mild or no experience.

Based on the book, “Brain Rules for Baby” by John Medina, researchers now think that morning sickness could make the baby smarter. One study, yet to be replicated, looked at the children whose mothers suffered from major nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. When the children reached school age, 21% scored 130 or more points on a standard IQ test, a level considered gifted. 

If their mothers don’t have morning sickness, only 7% of kids did that well. Some researchers have a theory which still needs to be proven that two hormones that stimulate a woman to vomit may also act like neural fertilizer for the developing brain of the fetus. So, the more vomiting, the more fertilizer, which possibly boosts higher IQ. 

Moreover, there’s an investigative study that found Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 7, whose mothers had suffered morning sickness, scored higher than average on several tests of IQ, memory and language skills. Dr. Gideon Koren, a top pediatrician and a senior study author concluded that “the worse and more severe the morning sickness, the more pronounced the child’s intelligence boost, leading to better brain development.”

SUMMARY

Whether you’re experiencing morning sickness or not, remember that in order to boost your baby’s brain development, consider eating healthy foods especially rich in proteins, iron,  folic acid, B vitamins and minerals. Take your prenatal vitamin supplement and level up your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Always talk to your baby to boost his or her language and memory skills and also try playing music to your baby and yourself despite your morning sickness. 

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