Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies
Objective: The prevalence of sleep disorders during the perinatal period is high and large health administrative database surveys have shown that the use of exogenous melatonin in pregnant populations is quite common, about 4%. Much of the concern about using melatonin during pregnancy and breastfee...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021005028202&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1818904002057732096 |
|---|---|
| author | Tya Vine Gregory M. Brown Benicio N. Frey |
| author_facet | Tya Vine Gregory M. Brown Benicio N. Frey |
| author_sort | Tya Vine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: The prevalence of sleep disorders during the perinatal period is high and large health administrative database surveys have shown that the use of exogenous melatonin in pregnant populations is quite common, about 4%. Much of the concern about using melatonin during pregnancy and breastfeeding stems from animal research. Thus, the objective of this article is to provide a critical review of human studies related to exogenous melatonin use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Methods: The electronic databases Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched using terms and keywords related to melatonin, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Results: Fifteen studies were included in this review. Eight focused on melatonin use during pregnancy and seven focused on melatonin use during breastfeeding. There was a variety of study designs, including case reports, cohort studies, and clinical trials. There is a lack of randomized, controlled trials examining the efficacy and safety of melatonin as a treatment for sleep disorders during pregnancy or breastfeeding and, notably, insomnia was not the primary outcome measure in any of the studies included in this review. Clinical trials that used exogenous melatonin during pregnancy and breastfeeding for other clinical conditions have not suggested major safety concerns or adverse events. Conclusion: Contrary to what animal studies have suggested, evidence from clinical studies to date suggests that melatonin use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is probably safe in humans. This review further emphasizes the need for clinical studies on sleep disorders, including exogenous melatonin, during pregnancy and lactation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:00:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-39abcc937cdc491b894cfa77ce5510ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1809-452X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:00:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-39abcc937cdc491b894cfa77ce5510ca2022-12-21T20:05:49ZengAssociação Brasileira de Psiquiatria (ABP)Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry1809-452X2021-11-0110.1590/1516-4446-2021-2156Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studiesTya VineGregory M. BrownBenicio N. Freyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8267-943XObjective: The prevalence of sleep disorders during the perinatal period is high and large health administrative database surveys have shown that the use of exogenous melatonin in pregnant populations is quite common, about 4%. Much of the concern about using melatonin during pregnancy and breastfeeding stems from animal research. Thus, the objective of this article is to provide a critical review of human studies related to exogenous melatonin use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Methods: The electronic databases Ovid, MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched using terms and keywords related to melatonin, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Results: Fifteen studies were included in this review. Eight focused on melatonin use during pregnancy and seven focused on melatonin use during breastfeeding. There was a variety of study designs, including case reports, cohort studies, and clinical trials. There is a lack of randomized, controlled trials examining the efficacy and safety of melatonin as a treatment for sleep disorders during pregnancy or breastfeeding and, notably, insomnia was not the primary outcome measure in any of the studies included in this review. Clinical trials that used exogenous melatonin during pregnancy and breastfeeding for other clinical conditions have not suggested major safety concerns or adverse events. Conclusion: Contrary to what animal studies have suggested, evidence from clinical studies to date suggests that melatonin use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is probably safe in humans. This review further emphasizes the need for clinical studies on sleep disorders, including exogenous melatonin, during pregnancy and lactation.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021005028202&tlng=enMelatoninpregnancybreastfeedingclinical trials |
| spellingShingle | Tya Vine Gregory M. Brown Benicio N. Frey Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry Melatonin pregnancy breastfeeding clinical trials |
| title | Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies |
| title_full | Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies |
| title_fullStr | Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies |
| title_short | Melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation: A scoping review of human studies |
| title_sort | melatonin use during pregnancy and lactation a scoping review of human studies |
| topic | Melatonin pregnancy breastfeeding clinical trials |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-44462021005028202&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tyavine melatoninuseduringpregnancyandlactationascopingreviewofhumanstudies AT gregorymbrown melatoninuseduringpregnancyandlactationascopingreviewofhumanstudies AT benicionfrey melatoninuseduringpregnancyandlactationascopingreviewofhumanstudies |