Recent Articles in the press

Two articles in the local Toronto newspapers recently caught my attention.

Today in the Star, Joseph Hall writes about Gideon Koren’s new article in the Journal of Pediatrics.  Dr Koren notes that morning sickness may lead to babies with a higher IQ.

The association is not as far-fetched as it sounds.  “Morning sickness” is a physical reaction to hormones created by the baby’s placenta.  The healthier the placenta –the better it is attached to mum- the more likely that mum will experience the full force of the placental hormones.

This small, non-randomized study is hardly the last word on the subject, and I would suggest taking the findings lightly.  (I may be a little biased as my own mother felt fine throughout pregnancy).  But it is fair to say that a well-attached placenta is more likely to lead to a healthy baby.  The findings are consistent with a larger body of knowledge suggesting that what happens in utero has the potential to affect us long after we’ve been delivered.  

For all these reasons, we like to confirm that a placenta has had the opportunity to implant properly and grow well.  Morning sickness is one reflection of good placentation, though the most accurate assessments have to wait until about 18 weeks of pregnancy.

From a fertility perspective, we find that we are most likely to see good placentation when we’ve had good embryo implantation.

Embryo implantation is a most difficult variable for us to control.  However, if your doctor expresses concern about fibroids, or polyps, or a thin endometrial lining, or a uterine septum, what they are really expressing is a concern about implantation.  Where possible, these factors should be treated.  In that way you can maximize your chances not only for implantation, but for a healthy pregnancy and thus a healthy and happy baby.

Which, in the end, is all that really matters.

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