God's Safety Valve?
Psalm 71:6
"By You I have been upheld from my birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You."
More than 75 percent of all women in their first trimester of pregnancy suffer some form of morning sickness. More than half become physically sick. While it may not help a woman with morning sickness feel better, it might help to know that morning sickness may serve a good purpose.
A University of California biologist has concluded that morning sickness may actually be the body's way of protecting the developing child. Margie Profet spent six years studying diets, birth defects and the level of natural toxins in our food. Most food has a natural, low concentration of poisons. For example, plants make poisons to protect their leaves from marauding insects. Normally these poisons are so weak that they are completely harmless to us. However, the newly developing infant is extremely susceptible to these low levels of toxins until about the eighth week of development. Naturally occurring chemicals in our environment can cause birth defects and even death to the vulnerable infant. When the body detects a level of toxins dangerous to the developing child, it may use morning sickness to rid the body of them.
Profet mentions other studies that showed that women who get nauseous and vomit during early pregnancy have lower rates of miscarriage than women who don't get sick.
The final scientific opinion isn't in yet. However, morning sickness may indeed be God's safety valve to protect the sensitive, developing child from harm.
Prayer:
I thank You, dear Father, for the wonderful way in which You formed me in my mother's womb. I realize that as I was formed, You hand-made me no less than You originally formed the first human being, Adam. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Notes:
"Morning sickness may protect fetus from toxins." Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 13. p. 7A.
