The HER Foundation announced that geneticist Dr. Marlena Fejzo, Research Director and Board of Directors, spoke at the first White House Conference on Women’s Health Research. This follows her prestigious honors as a TIME Women of the Year honoree, National Organization for Women, and Forbes 50 over 50 awardee.

White House Conference on Women’s Health Research

First Lady Jill Biden participates in a photo line for the White House Conference on Women’s Health Research, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, in the Red Room. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

For over two decades, Fejzo has worked to advance HG research, often without institutional funding. In 2019, she discovered GDF15 is the main cause of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). Now she is focused on developing prevention and treatment options to combat HG.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is the most severe form of NVP, affecting 1-10% of pregnancies worldwide. HG is associated with significant risks, including fetal loss or preterm birth in up to 34% of cases. Related costs exceed $2 billion annually in the U.S.

Fejzo emphasized that while morning sickness leads to an average of 23 missed workdays, HG causes an average of 60 missed days. The condition is far more than ‘morning sickness’—it’s life-altering and may be life-threatening.

Babies born after an HG pregnancy face heightened risks of neurodevelopmental conditions. These include speech and language delays, Sensory Processing Disorder, and emotional and behavioral disorders. HER Foundation Executive Director, Kimber MacGibbon, said, “These often preventable challenges may impact families, both financially and emotionally, for a lifetime. It’s past time we devoted funding to HG research.”

About Hyperemesis Gravidarum

  • Hyperemesis Gravidarum affects 1-10% of pregnancies or at least 2 million mothers worldwide annually. 
  • HG is the leading cause of hospitalization in early pregnancy and second cause overall. 
  • HG increases the risk of premature delivery, restricted fetal growth, placental disorders (e.g. preeclampsia), and postpartum depression.
  • Children born after an HG pregnancy have an increased risk for neurodevelopmental, behavioral and respiratory diagnoses, childhood hospitalization, and even childhood cancer.

Read Dr. Fejzo’s collaborative genetic research with the HER Foundation.

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