Melatonin and the Circadian Timing of Human Parturition

Abstract

Although the onset of spontaneous human parturition has long been known to occur preferentially during the nighttime and early morning hours, no convincing physiological explanation for this pattern has yet been proposed. This review focuses on the circadian timing of mammalian parturition, particularly in the human. It is proposed that differences in the phasing of parturition among different species are likely a function of opposite uterine responses to humoral cues, in particular those coding for time of day. The brain hormone melatonin fulfills many of the prerequisites to serve as a circadian signal for initiating uterine contractions that lead to human parturition. These encompass direct actions of melatonin on myometrial smooth muscle cells that are synergistic with oxytocin in facilitating greater uterine contractions at night. This may not only help to explain the nocturnal phasing of human parturition but also open new avenues for the management of term and preterm labor.