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

Impact of Light on Labor Progression

Who can join

Ages 18 to 42 · Women · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion criteria:

* Are pregnant
* Are 18-42 years old
* Medically cleared for participation by Medical Investigator
* Willingness to allow the study access to information in the participant's medical record
* Willingness to be notified of incidental findings from study procedures
* Willingness to measure and report on lighting conditions during specified time periods
* Willingness to use a uterine contraction home monitor system, and report results
* Willingness to adapt lighting during studies in home and/or hospital
* Willingness to wear blue-filter glasses if requested
* Willingness to report use of melatonin (for sleep)
* Willingness to stop melatonin use if requested

Exclusion criteria

* Pre-pregnancy BMI \>36kg/m2
* HIV or AIDS (self-reported)
* Severe anemia (hemoglobin \<8g/dL and/or hematocrit \<24%)
* History or current psychotic disorder or diagnosis of a current major depressive episode or bipolar disorder
* Current use of one or more of the following medications: metformin, systemic steroids, antipsychotic agents (e.g., Abilify, Haldol, Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa), anti-seizure medications or mood stabilizers that would be expected to have a significant impact on body weight (e.g., Depakote, Lamictal, Lithium, Neurontin, Tegretol, Topamax, Keppra), medications for ADHD including amphetamines and methylphenidate
* Continued use of weight loss medication including OTC and dietary supplements for weight loss (e.g., Adipex, Suprenza, Tenuate, Xenical, Alli, conjugated linoleic acid, Hoodia, Green tea extract, Guar gum, HydroxyCut, Sensa, Corti-slim, Chromium, chitosan, Bitter orange) Other Exclusion Criteria
* Recent history of or currently smoking, drinking alcohol or abusing drugs (prescription or recreational)
* Plans to move out of the study area within the next year or plans to be out of the study area for more than 8 weeks in the next 12 months
* Planned termination of pregnancy

About the study

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.

What is being tested

• Room light/light bulb (device)

Sponsor: Michigan State University · Participants: 100 · Started: Sep 1, 2025

Contact the study team

• Hanne M Hoffmann, PhD · Phone: 858 344 8389

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT04521972

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.