Breastfeeding: Time cues in a mother’s breast milk helps develop a baby’s circadian clock

QUICK SUMMARY: A fascinating new review paper looks at the development of circadian rhythms in early life. The development of circadian systems begins in utero, then continues over the first few years of life. Interestingly, maternal time cues in a mother’s breast milk helps a baby to develop their circadian clock.

About Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms are like your internal 24 hour body clock. They run in the background, carrying out essential functions and processes.

In humans, our circadian rhythms are the 24 hour patterns that your body and brain goes through each day. At different stages of the day, your body and mind will change, including changes to your physical and mental states, plus mood and behavioural changes.

For example, the sleep-wake cycle is one of the most well known circadian rhythms. For example, your body responds to light and to dark. When it’s light, you want to wake up. When it’s dark, you want to go to sleep.

Most living things have circadian rhythms — including animals, plants and even microorganisms.

But when do we acquire our circadian systems? Turns out, as explained in a new review paper — it all starts really early —…