Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

Human Primary Trophoblast Cell Culture Model to Study the Protective Effects of Melatonin Against Hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced Disruption
12:02

Human Primary Trophoblast Cell Culture Model to Study the Protective Effects of Melatonin Against Hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced Disruption

Published on: July 30, 2016

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Protective role of melatonin in neonatal diseases

Eloisa Gitto1, Lucia Marseglia1, Sara Manti2

  • 1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy.

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
|December 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Melatonin shows promise in reducing oxidative stress in newborns, potentially preventing or lessening conditions like chronic lung disease and brain injury. Further research is needed to confirm these benefits for neonatal health.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal medicine
  • Pediatric oxidative stress research
  • Antioxidant therapy

Background:

  • Oxidative stress significantly worsens newborn conditions, termed "oxygen radical diseases of neonatology."
  • Current strategies to boost antioxidant status in infants yield mixed results.
  • Neonates exhibit unique susceptibility to oxidative damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of melatonin in counteracting oxidative damage in newborns.
  • To explore melatonin's potential role in preventing or reducing oxidative stress-related neonatal diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies investigating melatonin's effects on neonatal oxidative stress.
  • Analysis of melatonin's impact on specific newborn conditions: chronic lung disease, perinatal brain injury, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity.

Main Results:

  • Studies indicate promising results for melatonin in mitigating oxidative damage in various neonatal diseases.
  • Melatonin has demonstrated potential benefits in treating conditions like chronic lung disease and perinatal brain injury.

Conclusions:

  • Melatonin's antioxidant properties suggest a potential prophylactic role in preventing neonatal oxidative stress-related diseases.
  • Further clinical studies are essential to validate the beneficial effects of melatonin in newborn populations.

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