PD PhD Dr. med. Petra Zimmermann, Children’s Hospital, LUKS

The Role of Melatonin in Early Life – Understanding How Breast Milk and the Gut Microbiome Influence Infant Health

Melatonin is a hormone best known for regulating sleep, but it also plays an important role in the immune system, brain development, and overall health. In early life, babies produce very little melatonin themselves and instead rely on external sources, especially breast milk. Some gut bacteria may also produce melatonin, but their contribution is not yet well understood.

This project will measure how much melatonin infants receive from breast milk, whether there is a correlation with the gut microbiota, and how melatonin levels are associated with sleep, development, and health outcomes during the first years of life.

By providing detailed, real-world data on melatonin exposure in infancy, this project will generate important foundational knowledge to better understand early-life development and support infant health.

 

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The Role of Melatonin in Early Life – Understanding How Breast Milk and the Gut Microbiome Influence Infant Health

Melatonin is a hormone best known for regulating sleep, but it also plays an important role in the immune system, brain development, and overall health. In early life, babies produce very little melatonin themselves and instead rely on external sources, especially breast milk. Some gut bacteria may also produce melatonin, but their contribution is not yet well understood.

This project will measure how much melatonin infants receive from breast milk, whether there is a correlation with the gut microbiota, and how melatonin levels are associated with sleep, development, and health outcomes during the first years of life.

By providing detailed, real-world data on melatonin exposure in infancy, this project will generate important foundational knowledge to better understand early-life development and support infant health.