Morning sickness linked to lower breast cancer risk
NEW YORK (Reuters) – If there’s any good news about morning sickness, this may be it. Women who experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy may have a lower risk of breast cancer later in life, according to new research.
Dr. Jo Freudenheim from the University at Buffalo in New York reported the finding at the annual meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research in Boston.
Several pregnancy-related factors – pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and weight gain – were evaluated, but had no significant effect on future incidence of breast cancer.
In contrast, pregnancy-associated nausea and vomiting were associated with about 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Greater severity and longer duration reduced the risk even further.
Freudenheim cautioned, however, that this is an epidemiologic study, so the findings should not be “over-interpreted.” Confirmation of their findings, she added, will require replication in other populations.
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