MedTrace Logo

Impact of Room Light on Uterine Contractions and Labor Progression in Pregnancy

NCT04521972 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2025-09-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Today it remains a challenge to successfully both halt and induce labor progression. Induction of labor is a common obstetric intervention that 1 in 4 women will experience. The goal of induction of labor is to achieve a vaginal birth, however in almost 40% of first-time mothers it fails. Failed labor inductions require a caesarean delivery, which is associated with a vast range of adverse effects for both the mother and her baby. In this application we propose that a simple manipulation of room light will increase the success of vaginal birth through the use of optimal room light settings (halting labor=lights ON, promoting labor=reduced room light/red room light).

A sparse literature has shown that the hormone melatonin might be an important hormone to consider during late pregnancy and labor. Pineal melatonin release is only released in darkness at night, where nocturnal light such as room light, suppress pineal melatonin release, reducing uterine contractions (Olcese et al 2013, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22556015/, Rahman et al 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6453747/). Melatonin receptor become upregulated in the pregnant myometrium (uterine smooth muscle), and a small study in women having preterm birth, showed a high expression of melatonin receptor, at a gestational week where women not having preterm uterine contractions, had low levels of melatonin receptor, suggesting that premature increase in myometrium melatonin receptor might in some women be associated with preterm labor and birth (Olcese et al 2013, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22556015/).

This study will address how room light impacts melatonin release and uterine contractions in healthy pregnant women.

Conditions

  • Pregnancy Related
  • Labor; Poor
  • Uterine Contractions Weak

Interventions

DEVICE

Room light/light bulb

Room light will be ON/OFF or red light used in the room. Reducing/eliminating light in the room in the evening and night is expected to allow the natural release of melatonin, which is thought to promote uterine contractions in late pregnancy.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Hanne M Hoffmann, PhD · Michigan State University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
42 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-09-01
Primary Completion
2027-09-01
Completion
2029-09-01
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04521972 on ClinicalTrials.gov