Frontiers in Physiology · 9 authors, 5 centres
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This literature review describes how the NICU environment disrupts the development of the circadian system in preterm infants. It concludes there is increasing evidence that cycling light conditions are not harmful and may have beneficial short-term effects.
This narrative review synthesizes literature on the fetal and neonatal development of the circadian system and the consequences of its disruption in the NICU environment for preterm infants. It outlines a theoretical framework linking early circadian disruption to later-life disease, drawing on animal and in vitro mechanistic studies. The review evaluates evidence for interventions like enhancing rhythmicity in light and noise exposure. It concludes that caring for preterm infants in cycling light conditions is not harmful and shows beneficial short-term effects, such as on weight gain. Limitations include the need for larger, longer-term human studies to confirm effects and investigate other synchronizers like feeding timing. The implications suggest a focus on optimizing NICU environments to support circadian health, though direct causal links to long-term outcomes in humans remain to be proven.
