title: Getting rhythm: how do babies do it?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the emergence of biological rhythms in the first months of life in human infants, by measuring age-related changes in core body temperature during night-time sleep, hormones (cortisol and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin) and the expression of a clock-controlled gene H3f3b in oral epithelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured overnight core body temperature, actigraphy, day-night urinary cortisol and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, as well as circadian gene expression, in infants at home from March 2007 to July 2008 in Leicester.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 35 healthy Caucasian infants who were born at term. They were monitored from 6 to 18 weeks of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 8 weeks of age the day-night rhythm of cortisol secretion was the first to appear followed by 6-sulfatoxymelatonin 1 week later; at the same time that night-time sleep was established. At 10 weeks, the maximum fall in deep body temperature occurred with the onset of night-time sleep, followed at 11 weeks by the rhythmical expression of the H3f3b gene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In human infants, there is a clear sequential pattern for the emergence of diurnal biological rhythms between 6 and 18 weeks of postnatal age, led by the secretion of cortisol and linked with the establishment of consolidated night-time sleep. It is likely that this represents part of a maturation and adaption process as infants gain equilibrium with their external environment after birth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Desaline
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Health and Human Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nelson W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK Nuffield lab of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Morag E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shanks
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosato
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Nick A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Taub
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Stewart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Symonds
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Whitehouse
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wailoo
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000652:urine; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Fetal Medicine; SIDS; Sleep