Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Development of the circadian system in early life: maternal and environmental factors
Sachi D Wong1, Kenneth P Wright1, Robert L Spencer2
1Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, 354 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
Insights
The infant circadian system develops early, but modern environmental factors like artificial light can disrupt its synchronization. Understanding these disruptions is key to healthy infant development and circadian rhythm establishment.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological processes crucial for synchronizing behavior and physiology with the 24-hour environment.
- The development of the human circadian system commences during gestation and extends through early childhood.
- While circadian rhythms can persist independently, environmental cues are vital for their adaptation and entrainment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the early developmental stages of the infant circadian clock.
- To explore how modern environmental factors influence circadian system maturation.
- To identify common circadian misalignment scenarios affecting infants.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of developmental chronobiology.
- Analysis of environmental influences on circadian entrainment.
- Discussion of physiological mechanisms underlying circadian synchronization.
Main Results:
- Infant circadian system development is sensitive to external cues.
- Post-modern environments present challenges, including artificial light and hormonal signals, that can interfere with synchronization.
- Conflicting temporal cues can lead to circadian misalignment in infants.
Conclusions:
- Early life circadian system development is vulnerable to environmental disruptions.
- Understanding these disruptions is critical for promoting healthy circadian alignment in infants.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the long-term impacts of circadian misalignment in early development.
Abstract:
In humans, an adaptable internal biological system generates circadian rhythms that maintain synchronicity of behavior and physiology with the changing demands of the 24-h environment. Development of the circadian system begins in utero and continues throughout the first few years of life. Maturation of the clock can be measured through sleep/wake patterns and hormone secretion. Circadian rhythms, by definition, can persist in the absence of environmental input; however, their ability to adjust to external time cues is vital for adaptation and entrainment to the environment. The significance of these external factors that influence the emergence of a stable circadian clock in the first years of life remain poorly understood. Infants raised in our post-modern world face adverse external circadian signals, such as artificial light and mistimed hormonal cues via breast milk, which may increase interference with the physiological mechanisms that promote circadian synchronization. This review describes the very early developmental stages of the clock and common circadian misalignment scenarios that make the developing circadian system more susceptible to conflicting time cues and temporal disorder between the maternal, fetal, infant, and peripheral clocks.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
01:15Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
02:45Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
01:11Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types