Freak Rise in Emergency Visits Due to Melatonin Gummies Ingestion in Kids
The surprising popularity of melatonin gummies as an over-the-counter sleep aid for children has led to an alarming increase in emergency department visits in recent years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rise in melatonin use, fueled by the appealing candy-like form of the supplement, has raised concerns about the safety of unsupervised ingestion by infants and young kids.
The Troubling Trend
Melatonin, a neurohormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, has gained significant traction in recent years as a self-management remedy for sleep disorders and jet lag, even among children. The CDC report reveals a staggering 530 percent increase in calls to poison control centers and a 420 percent increase in emergency department visits for accidental melatonin ingestion in infants and kids from 2009 to 2020.
Over 11,000 Kids in Four Years!
Between 2019 and 2022, an estimated 11,000 children ended up in the emergency department due to unintentional consumption of melatonin supplements. The majority of cases involved solid forms of melatonin, with gummies accounting for 47 percent of cases. Researchers suspect that an additional 49 percent of cases involved other types of solid melatonin, likely to include gummies. Shockingly, these emergency visits made up 7 percent of all emergency visits by infants and children resulting from unsupervised medication ingestion.
Rights of Pharmacology and Age Distribution
Inja Murray, the lead researcher, observed that the allure of melatonin products is conspicuous in the ages of the kids being rushed to emergency departments. While most cases of unsupervised medicine exposures involve infants and toddlers ages 1 to 2, melatonin-related visits primarily concerned children ages 3 to 5. Surprisingly, about 75 percent of melatonin products handled by these kids were extracted from bottles. It suggests either these young children opened the bottles unaided, or the bottles were not adequately secured. It’s worth noting that manufacturers are not mandated to use child-resistant packaging for melatonin supplements.
Health Implications and the Urgent Need for Education
Fortunately, the majority of melatonin ingestion cases had only mild or no effects. However, around 700 children, equivalent to 6.5 percent, were hospitalized after overindulging in melatonin. An earlier study conducted in Michigan determined that children who consumed melatonin experienced symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. Supervised doses of melatonin for sleep improvement have known side effects, including increased bedwetting, drowsiness, headache, dizziness, and agitation.
Safety Considerations
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, suggests that supervised use of melatonin in children for short-term sleep improvement seems safe. However, the long-term effects of regular use or acute exposures are yet to be fully understood. The hormonal nature of melatonin leaves open the potential impact on hormonal development, puberty, menstrual cycles, and potential overproduction of prolactin. It is essential to caution parents and caregivers about the significance of keeping all medications and supplements, including melatonin gummies, safely out of the reach and sight of children. Continued education in this regard is of utmost importance.
