Citation
Lucas, Ruth; Zhang, Yiming; Walsh, Stephen J.; Starkweather, Angela; & Young, Erin (2021). OXTR rs53576 Variation with Breast and Nipple Pain in Breastfeeding Women. Pain Management Nursing, 22(3), 369-376. PMCID: PMC8933061Abstract
Background -Thirty percent of women who seek professional breastfeeding support require assistance with ongoing breast and nipple pain and < 50% of women report resolution of their pain. It is unknown if there is a molecular risk for ongoing breast and nipple pain during breastfeeding.Aim -To evaluate associations among breast and nipple pain sensitivity and candidate pain sensitivity single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs], (COMT rs6269, rs4633, rs4818, rs4680 and OXTR rs2254298, rs53576) in breastfeeding women.
Design - A secondary analysis of a pilot randomized controlled trial of a pain self-management intervention conducted over 6 weeks postpartum.
Setting and Participants - Sixty women were recruited from two hospital settings after birth.
Methods - All participants underwent standardized mechanical somatosensory testing for an assessment of pain sensitivity and provided baseline buccal swabs for genetic analysis. At 1, 2, and 6 weeks postpartum, women self-reported breast and nipple pain severity using a visual analogue scale.
Results - Women with the minor allele OXTR rs53576 reported 8.18-fold higher breast and nipple pain severity over time. For every 1-unit increase in Mechanical detection threshold and windup ratio, women reported 16.51-fold and 4.82-fold higher breast and nipple pain severity respectively. Six women with the OXTR rs2254298 minor allele reported allodynia.Conclusion - The presence of OXTR alleles in women with enhanced pain sensitivity suggests a phenotype of genetic risk for ongoing breast and nipple with potential for pain-associated breastfeeding cessation. Somatosensory testing identified women who reported higher breast and nipple pain during the first weeks of breastfeeding.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2020.09.007Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2021Journal Title
Pain Management NursingAuthor(s)
Lucas, RuthZhang, Yiming
Walsh, Stephen J.
Starkweather, Angela
Young, Erin