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Perinatal development of human circadian rhythms
1Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neonatology and Obstetrical Gynecology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
The fetal biological clock develops early, influencing maternal circadian rhythms before birth. Disruption of this connection can impair infant circadian rhythm maturation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Circadian rhythms are crucial for physiological regulation.
- Understanding the development of these rhythms in utero is essential for infant health.
- Primate and human fetal development of circadian rhythms is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the early development of circadian rhythms in primates, including humans.
- To investigate maternal and fetal circadian rhythms during gestation and in preterm infants.
- To propose mechanisms for fetal-maternal circadian interaction.
Main Methods:
- Continuous 24-hour recordings of maternal and fetal circadian rhythms.
- Analysis of circadian rhythms in preterm infants.
- Review of existing literature on fetal development and circadian rhythms.
Main Results:
- The fetal biological clock is endogenous and responds to maternal signals prenatally.
- Maternal circadian rhythms directly influence fetal overt rhythms.
- Fetal rhythms provide feedback to the mother via the placenta.
- Disruption of fetal-maternal circadian interaction leads to rhythm disturbances and impaired infant maturation.
Conclusions:
- The fetal biological clock is functional and interactive long before birth.
- Maternal-fetal circadian synchrony is vital for healthy development.
- Disruptions in this synchrony have significant consequences for gestational length and infant circadian rhythm maturation.
Abstract:
The early development of circadian rhythms in primates, including man, was reviewed. Continuous 24-h recordings were carried out for maternal and fetal circadian rhythms during gestation as well as in preterm infants. Several propositions were made based on these new findings: 1. The fetal biological clock is an endogenous clock capable of generating circadian rhythms and responding to maternal entraining signals long before the moment of birth. 2. Through the fetal biological clock, maternal circadian rhythms influence the fetal overt rhythms. 3. Maternal rhythms influence the fetus, and fetal rhythms feed back to the mother (via the placenta). Disruption of this fetal-maternal interaction during gestation leads to: a. disturbances of maternal and fetal circadian rhythms; b. disappearance of circadian rhythms at the time of birth; c. a gestational period which is either too short or too long (see also Honnebier and Swaab, 1973); d. delayed or impaired maturation of the circadian rhythms of the infant.