Can melatonin affect labor? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT05358834
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether taking melatonin, a natural sleep hormone, can change the number of uterine contractions in full-term pregnant women. Researchers will give melatonin or a placebo to 120 women during the day and at night to see if it affects contractions. The goal is to understand the link between melatonin and labor, not to develop a treatment yet.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Melatonin (dietary supplement)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help understand how melatonin influences labor timing, potentially leading to new ways to manage contractions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 120 participants, focused on basic physiology rather than treatment. Results may not translate into clinical practice.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 35 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * nulliparity, age between 18 and 35, * BMI\<36 pre-pregnancy, * ≥38 weeks of pregnancy with a single fetus at time of study. Exclusion Criteria: * color blind; * prescription drugs affecting sleep, melatonin, and/or circadian rhythms (e.g., beta blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs); * a health or pregnancy related condition that might affect melatonin or uterine contractions; * medical conditions or medications for which melatonin might be contraindicated or there may be a drug interactions (e.g., Central Nervous System depressants/sedatives, Fluvoxamin (Luvox), medications for diabetes, immunosuppressants, anti-coagulants, Nifedipine, Verapamil). Note: We cannot list all possible exclusionary criteria. Dr. Carolina Bibbo (co-I), our Obstetrics Investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), will make final determination of suitability including any safety concerns for each potential participant.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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