August 8, 2012

expert reaction to natural birth triggers UCP 2 expression in mice

A study on infant mice in PLoS ONE found that natural birth triggered production of the protein UCP2, linked to development of brain circuits linked to memory, while less of the protein was made in mice delivered by C-section.

Professor Marian Knight, NIHR Research Professor/Honorary Consultant in Public Health, University of Oxford, said:

“Whilst this is an interesting laboratory study, the potential for human significance is far from established. The paper does not establish whether the change in the specific brain protein expression they note in mice which are delivered by caesarean section continues once the mice develop further, nor does the work investigate whether the mice delivered by caesarean section have developmental or memory problems as a consequence.

“The work establishes that mice which are genetically altered and completely lack the gene for the specific brain protein have behavioural differences from normal mice, but there is no link between the two halves of the study.

“The authors speculate that there may be significance for human development, however, this paper does not establish whether the observed changes have long-term consequences for mice let alone humans, and it is a large leap to assume that this observed effect may have long-term consequences for babies.

“Women who are currently considering their choice of ways to give birth would be best advised to discuss their individual circumstances with their midwife or doctor alongside the known risks and benefits of caesarean or vaginal birth in humans when coming to a decision about what is best for them.”

‘Ucp2 Induced by Natural Birth Regulates Neuronal Differentiation of the Hippocampus and Related Adult Behavior’ by Simon-Areces et al., published in PLoS ONE on 8 August 2012.