Genetic variant may explain why some women don't need pain relief during childbirth

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uoc-gvm072020.php

News Release 21-Jul-2020
University of Cambridge


Women who do not need pain relief during childbirth may be carriers of a key genetic variant that acts a natural epidural, say scientists at the University of Cambridge. In a study published today in the journal Cell Reports, the researchers explain how the variant limits the ability of nerve cells to send pain signals to the brain.

Childbirth is widely recognised as a painful experience. However, every woman's experience of labour and birth is unique, and the level of discomfort and pain experienced during labour varies substantially between women.

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