ArticleJournal of pineal research2019
Relationship between endogenous melatonin concentrations and uterine contractions in late third trimester of human pregnancy.
Article in Journal of pineal research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of melatonin as an adjuvant agent for induction of labor: The MILO trial.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Trial
- Melatonin in Pregnancy-Related Disorders: A Review of Protective Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2026Review
- Research progress and future directions in circadian rhythms for uterine‑related diseases (Review).Molecular medicine reports · 2026Review
- The Impact of Lunar Phases During Day and Night Cycles on Perinatal Outcomes: A Nationwide Cohort Study.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Time-of-Day Impacts Uterine Circadian Rhythms and Response to Oxytocin: Comparison of Uterine Function in Melatonin-Deficient C57BL/6 Versus Melatonin Proficient CBA/B6 Hybrid Mice.Journal of pineal research · 2026Article
- Exploring melatonin's multifaceted role in female reproductive health: From follicular development to lactation and its therapeutic potential in obstetric syndromes.Journal of advanced research · 2025Review
- Article
- Social disadvantage is associated with impaired increase in salivary diurnal melatonin amplitude throughout pregnancy.Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society · 2025Article
- The Role of Melatonin in Pregnancy and the Health Benefits for the Newborn.Biomedicines · 2022Review
- Neuraxial analgesia interfered with the circadian rhythm of labor: a propensity score matched cohort study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Shiftwork and Light at Night Negatively Impact Molecular and Endocrine Timekeeping in the Female Reproductive Axis in Humans and Rodents.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
- Melatonin and Female Reproduction: An Expanding Universe.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2020Review
- Melatonin: Countering Chaotic Time Cues.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
In humans, circulating levels of the hormone melatonin and the initiation of spontaneous labor are both higher at night than during the day. Since activation of uterine melatonin receptors can stimulate human in vitro uterine contractions and these receptors are only expressed on the uterine tissue of women in labor, we hypothesized that circulating melatonin concentrations would affect uterine contractions in vivo. We evaluated the impact of light-induced modulation of melatonin secretion on uterine contractions in women during late third trimester (~36-39 weeks) of pregnancy in two inpatient protocols. We found a significant (P < 0.05) positive linear association between circulating melatonin concentrations and the number of uterine contractions under both protocols. On average, uterine contractions increased between 1.4 and 2.1 contractions per 30 minutes for every 10 pg/mL*h increase in melatonin concentration. These findings have both basic science and clinical implications for pregnant women, since endogenous melatonin levels and melatonin receptor activity can be altered by light and/or pharmaceutical agents.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.