Reactive oxygen species have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of perinatal diseases. Exposure to inflammation, infections, or high oxygen concentrations is frequent in preterm infants, who have high free iron levels that enhance toxic radical generation and diminish antioxidant defense. The peculiar susceptibility of newborns to oxidative stress supports the prophylactic use of melatonin in preventing or decreasing oxidative stress-mediated diseases. Melatonin, an effective direct free-radical scavenger, easily diffuses through biological membranes and exerts pleiotropic activity everywhere. Multiple investigations have assessed the effectiveness of melatonin to reduce the “oxygen radical diseases of newborn” including perinatal brain injury, sepsis, chronic lung disease (CLD), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Further studies are still awaited to test melatonin activity during perinatal period.

中文翻译：

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褪黑素在氧化应激相关新生儿疾病中的应用。

活性氧在围产期疾病的发病机理中具有至关重要的作用。早产儿经常暴露于炎症，感染或高浓度的氧气中，这些婴儿的游离铁水平高，会增加毒性自由基的产生并削弱抗氧化防御能力。新生儿对氧化应激的特殊敏感性支持了褪黑激素在预防或减少氧化应激介导的疾病中的预防用途。褪黑激素是一种有效的直接自由基清除剂，它容易通过生物膜扩散并在各处发挥多效性。多项研究评估了褪黑激素减轻“新生儿氧自由基疾病”的有效性，包括围产期脑损伤，败血症，慢性肺病（CLD）和坏死性小肠结肠炎（NEC）。