Discovering a gene that relieves labor pain in women

 

 

7/26/2020

 

A new British study said that some women have a gene that acts as a natural inhibitor of labor pain, as it is estimated that about one in every 100 women carry this gene.

The study was conducted by a group of doctors and scientists at Addenbrook Hospital, part of Cambridge University, where they studied mothers who conceived their first child until the end of their birth.

Scientists have tested pregnant women, by subjecting them to high temperatures, pressure on their arms and putting their hands in cold water. Results of the tests were compared with cases of mothers who experienced severe pain during childbirth.

The results showed that the first group of women was able to tolerate more pain in conditions of high temperature, cold and pressure.

"It is not uncommon for women not to require gas, air, or anesthesia to relieve pain during labor, especially at first birth," said Dr. Michael Lee of the University's Department of Anesthesiology. When we first tested these women, it was clear that their pain threshold was generally higher than It was like other women. "

Once they obtained these results, Professor Jeff Woods and his colleagues at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research were able to look at the genetic code of both groups. They found that women in the test group had a higher prevalence rate for a rare variable than the KCNG4 gene, which helps produce a protein that controls the electrical signal flowing into nerve cells.

For his part, Dr. St. John Smith, who participated in the study, explained: “The genetic alternative that we found in women who feel less pain during childbirth leads to a defect that reduces the possibility of pain signals reaching the brain.” He added: “We hope that these results are A beginning to develop new pain management drugs. ”

The researchers emphasized that this approach in the study of individuals who show unexpected results in the experience of pain may also find a wider application in other contexts, which helps to understand how pain is felt and the development of new drugs to treat it, according to the website "Metro".