Pregnancy Preterm clinical trials

Melatonin Levels in Preterm and Term Newborn Infants

The general goal of the present study is to examine the developmental changes caused by melatonin in preterm and term newborns. The major brain lesions associated with cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment in preterm infants are periventricular white matter damage (WMD). At the present time, despite major improvements in neonatal care, there are no established therapeutic regimens for the treatment of brain lesions in preterms. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland; melatonin's neuroprotective action has been well documented in animal experimental models. Neuroprotection is believed to stem from its direct free radical scavenging, indirect antioxidant activities. Originality Several reports have described melatonin secretion in older children, but only a few have observed melatonin concentrations during the first year of life. Very little is known about the fetal pineal melatonin synthesis and nothing at what prenatal age melatonin synthesis starts. Premature infants have a 3 months delay in the development of melatonin rhythmicity compared to full-term infants. One study found discordant data with decreasing melatonin value around term. The absence of longitudinal study and the low number of children included make the interpretation difficult of the secretion of melatonin at the newborn. Hypothesis: Infants born before 28 weeks gestation have melatonin deficiency (50pg/ml), compared to newborns at term (100pg/ml). Study design: prospective, longitudinal, multicenter trial in 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Ile de France. Specific aim is to compare the developmental changes of melatonin in preterm and term newborns (200 infants and their mothers: 4 groups of 50 infants: 24-27GA +6d ; 28-32 GA +6d ; 33-36 GA +6d ; 37-41 GA +6d). Secondary aims are the following: - determine Melatonin creatinin excretion in preterm infants - correlate between serum melatonin secretion and urinary melatonin and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion - determine endogenous melatonin production in the human pineal - correlate genetic variations between different levels of melatonin in premature infants - assess clinical and neurological outcomes at term Clinical impact The present clinical project is part of a translational approach, expected data for infants born before 28 weeks gestation is melatonin deficiency which should participate in determining the potential use of melatonin as a neuroprotectant in human preterm neonates.