Daily rhythms cross placenta from mother to the baby before the fetus can sense light.
Daily rhythms cross placenta from mother to the baby before the fetus can sense light.
Humans and most other organisms have internal biological clocks that track the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. These clocks help time our sleep, metabolism and other essential body functions over the course of a day, creating daily patterns called circadian rhythms. Research shows that when these rhythms are disrupted — by jet lag, lack of sleep or irregular work schedules — people can suffer long-term negative health effects.
Scientists who study daily rhythms have long wondered about when the mammalian circadian clock starts ticking and synchronizes to local time. In a new study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis reported that a mother helps to set the biological clock for her babies while they are still in the womb.
“We know that disrupting circadian rhythms during pregnancy can affect how sleep and daily rhythms develop in infants, and these early disruptions are linked to a higher risk of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression later in life,” said Nikhil Lokesh, study author and a research scientist in biology in WashU Arts & Sciences. “Understanding when the fetal clock begins to function helps us identify sensitive developmental windows when circadian disruption may have lasting effects and how those effects might be prevented or corrected.”
Read More: Washington University in St. Louis
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