Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The circadian timing system optimizes health by temporally coordinating behavior and physiology. During mammalian gestation, fetal circadian rhythms are synchronized by the daily fluctuations in maternal body temperature, hormones and nutrients. Circadian disruption during pregnancy is associated wi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.634034/full |
| _version_ | 1818847117832093696 |
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| author | Esther M. Hazelhoff Jeroen Dudink Johanna H. Meijer Laura Kervezee |
| author_facet | Esther M. Hazelhoff Jeroen Dudink Johanna H. Meijer Laura Kervezee |
| author_sort | Esther M. Hazelhoff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The circadian timing system optimizes health by temporally coordinating behavior and physiology. During mammalian gestation, fetal circadian rhythms are synchronized by the daily fluctuations in maternal body temperature, hormones and nutrients. Circadian disruption during pregnancy is associated with negative effects on developmental outcomes in the offspring, highlighting the importance of regular and robust 24-h rhythms over gestation. In the case of preterm birth (before 37 weeks of gestation), maternal cues no longer synchronize the neonate’s circadian system, which may adversely affect the neonate. There is increasing evidence that introducing robust light-dark cycles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has beneficial effects on clinical outcomes in preterm infants, such as weight gain and hospitalization time, compared to infants exposed to constant light or constant near-darkness. However, the biological basis for these effects and the relationship with the functional and anatomical development of the circadian system is not fully understood. In this review, we provide a concise overview of the effects of light-dark cycles on clinical outcomes of preterm neonates in the NICU and its alignment with the development of the circadian system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:56:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f7dcd975e744e019bf63d1ae24ff003 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:56:21Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f7dcd975e744e019bf63d1ae24ff0032022-12-21T20:33:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2021-03-011510.3389/fnins.2021.634034634034Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care UnitEsther M. Hazelhoff0Jeroen Dudink1Johanna H. Meijer2Laura Kervezee3Laboratory for Neurophysiology, Department of Cellular and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital and Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, NetherlandsLaboratory for Neurophysiology, Department of Cellular and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsLaboratory for Neurophysiology, Department of Cellular and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsThe circadian timing system optimizes health by temporally coordinating behavior and physiology. During mammalian gestation, fetal circadian rhythms are synchronized by the daily fluctuations in maternal body temperature, hormones and nutrients. Circadian disruption during pregnancy is associated with negative effects on developmental outcomes in the offspring, highlighting the importance of regular and robust 24-h rhythms over gestation. In the case of preterm birth (before 37 weeks of gestation), maternal cues no longer synchronize the neonate’s circadian system, which may adversely affect the neonate. There is increasing evidence that introducing robust light-dark cycles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has beneficial effects on clinical outcomes in preterm infants, such as weight gain and hospitalization time, compared to infants exposed to constant light or constant near-darkness. However, the biological basis for these effects and the relationship with the functional and anatomical development of the circadian system is not fully understood. In this review, we provide a concise overview of the effects of light-dark cycles on clinical outcomes of preterm neonates in the NICU and its alignment with the development of the circadian system.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.634034/fullcycled lightdevelopmentpreterm infantscircadian systemNeonatal Intensive Care Unitchronobiology |
| spellingShingle | Esther M. Hazelhoff Jeroen Dudink Johanna H. Meijer Laura Kervezee Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Frontiers in Neuroscience cycled light development preterm infants circadian system Neonatal Intensive Care Unit chronobiology |
| title | Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| title_full | Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| title_fullStr | Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| title_short | Beginning to See the Light: Lessons Learned From the Development of the Circadian System for Optimizing Light Conditions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit |
| title_sort | beginning to see the light lessons learned from the development of the circadian system for optimizing light conditions in the neonatal intensive care unit |
| topic | cycled light development preterm infants circadian system Neonatal Intensive Care Unit chronobiology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.634034/full |
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