Emergence and influences of circadian rhythmicity in infants

Circadian rhythms are generated endogenously with a period of approximately 24 h. Studies carried out during the last decade indicate that the circadian system develops before birth, and that the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a structure that is considered the mammalian circadian clock, is present in primates from the middle of pregnancy. Recent evidence shows that the infants’ circadian system is sensitive to light from very early stages of...