this curious life

A variant of a gene associated with active personality traits in humans seems to also be involved with living a longer life, researchers have found.

The British royal was hospitalized on Monday for a rare pregnancy complication that causes nausea and vomiting so extreme it has the potential to kill.

 

'What is hyperemesis gravidarum?

 

Hyperemesis is defined as nausea and vomiting that's persistent and prolonged and associated with a more than 5 percent weight loss. That's inability to perform your regular, daily routine due to nausea and vomiting.

 

There can be fainting. We have women who are vomiting so hard that they get rib fractures or their retina detaches. They can blow out their eardrums. They can get esophageal tears. We have women whose nails have fallen off due to malnutrition.

 

You can get Wernicke's encephalopathy, which is a thiamine deficiency that leads to a neurological disorder. It's generally seen in alcoholics because when you drink a lot you also have a problem with your brain absorbing thiamine. You get this inability to walk straight and mental confusion, and it can also end up in death of the baby and the mother.'