Miami, Florida – A new trend is emerging that is raising serious concerns among health officials – the rise in emergency room visits of children due to accidental ingestion of melatonin supplements. While typically seen as a mild sleep aid in adults, melatonin in gummy form is proving to be dangerously attractive to kids, leading to a spike in poison control center calls and emergency department visits.
In a recent report by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was revealed that the use of melatonin, a neurohormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, has significantly increased in recent years. The appeal of these candy-like supplements has led to a staggering 530 percent increase in poison control center calls and a 420 percent increase in emergency department visits for accidental melatonin ingestion in infants and children between 2009 and 2020.
The study estimates that between 2019 and 2022, nearly 11,000 children ended up in the emergency room after consuming melatonin supplements. The majority of these cases involved children between the ages of 3 to 5, highlighting the allure of melatonin products to young kids. The lack of child-resistant packaging on these supplements has made it easier for children to access them unsupervised, resulting in potentially harmful consequences.
Although most cases resulted in mild to no effects, a small percentage of children, around 6.5 percent, required hospitalization due to their melatonin consumption. Symptoms reported from poison control center calls included gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and central nervous system issues. While supervised use of melatonin in children is considered safe for short-term use, the long-term effects and potential risks of regular use remain unknown.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises caution when it comes to giving melatonin to children, citing potential effects on hormonal development. With the rise in emergency room visits related to melatonin ingestion, there is a pressing need to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of keeping all medications and supplements out of children’s reach and sight to prevent further incidents. The data highlights the urgency of addressing this growing concern to ensure the safety of children nationwide.