Maternal circadian rhythms and the programming of adult health and disease

The in utero environment is inherently rhythmic, with the fetus subjected to circadian changes in temperature, substrates and various maternal hormones. Meanwhile, the fetus is developing an endogenous circadian timing system, preparing for life in an external environment where light, food availability and other environmental factors change predictably and repeatedly every 24 hours. In humans, there are many situations that can disrupt circadian rhythms, including shift work, international travel, insomnias and circadian rhythm disorders (e.g., advanced/delayed sleep phase disorder), with a growing consensus that this chronodisruption can have deleterious consequences for an individual's health and wellbeing. However, the impact of chronodisruption during pregnancy on the health of both the mother and fetus is not well understood. In this review we outline circadian timing system ontogeny in mammals, and examine emerging research from animal models demonstrating long term negative implications for progeny health following maternal chronodisruption during pregnancy.

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