The Role of Melatonin in Pregnancy and the Health Benefits for the Newborn

Abstract

In the last few years, there have been significant evolutions in the understanding of the hormone melatonin in terms of its physiology, regulatory role, and potential utility in various domains of clinical medicine. Melatonin's properties include, among others, the regulation of mitochondrial function, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuro-protective effects, sleep promotion and immune enhancement. As it is also bioavailable and has little or no toxicity, it has been proposed as safe and effective for the treatment of numerous diseases and to preserve human health. In this manuscript, we tried to evaluate the role of melatonin at the beginning of human life, in pregnancy, in the fetus and in newborns through newly published literature studies.

Keywords: melatonin and circadian rhythm; melatonin during parturition; melatonin fetal health; melatonin gestational period; melatonin in breastfeeding; melatonin in fetal growth restriction; melatonin in gestational diabetes; melatonin in preeclampsia; melatonin in pregnancy; melatonin induction of labor; melatonin labor; melatonin neuroprotection.

Figure 1

Melatonin comes from tryptophan, produced in the pineal gland after five stages of chemical reaction. It is subsequently metabolized in the liver and kidney or non-enzymatically (antioxidant cascade). Tissue targets include, during pregnancy, the placenta through the MT1, MT2 and MT3 receptors (Created with BioRender.com on 1 January 2022).

Figure 2

The physiological functions performed by melatonin in pregnancy (Created with BioRender.com on 1 January 2022).