Pineal Gland Disorders and Circadian Rhythm Alterations in Pregnancy and Lactation

Abstract Pineal tumors are extremely rare during pregnancy and cause symptoms by compression or direct invasion. Surgery is recommended during the second trimester, and chemotherapy after 14 weeks of gestation. Pineal cysts don’t usually cause complications during pregnancy or labor. The hormonal imbalances generated by night-shift work schedules or jet lag conceivably contribute to the increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and miscarriage in women who are exposed to a desynchronization of the sleep-wake cycle during pregnancy. Maternal chronodisruption and melatonin deficiency have been linked to peripartum depression. Serum levels of melatonin are significantly reduced in women with preeclampsia, in those bearing growth-restricted fetuses, and in women who spontaneously abort in early pregnancy. Melatonin is currently being tested in clinical trials to determine if its perceived antioxidant and free-radical scavenger effects reduced the incidence of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and birth asphyxia.