The gene that helps block labour pain

It is estimated that one in 100 women carry the genetic variant KCNG4. Scientists call it a “natural epidural” as it makes it less likely that pain signals will reach the brain during contractions. When pain receptors are stimulated in the uterus during childbirth, they release neurotransmitters that send a pain signal to the brain. The KCNG4 gene makes it harder for this process to “switch on”. Therefore, women with the gene should theoretically have a higher pain threshold.