Melatonin Is the Top Cause of Poison Control Calls in Kids
Advertised as both natural and safe,
melatonin can be easily purchased over the counter. In the past decade,
this sleep aid became a home staple that adults take to address their
insomnia and sometimes give to their kids. But is this sleep remedy as
innocuous as previously thought? Medical experts and agencies disagree,
as over the past decade melatonin became the leading cause of parent
queries to poison control across the US.
What makes melatonin dangerous to kids, and just how serious an issue
melatonin ingestion by children is? Read on for a detailed examination.
What is melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone that the pineal
gland in the brain produces to regulate sleep. With the help of
melatonin, the brain regulates the human circadian rhythms (the natural
sleep-wake cycles). When melatonin levels drop, we are alert and awake.
But when they increase - which usually happens 2 hours before bedtime -
we feel sleepy and exhausted.
Towards the tail end of the 20th century, scientists learned to
synthesize melatonin in a lab, and it became available on the market in
the 1990s. But it wasn’t until the past decade that its popularity
skyrocketed, almost tripling in sales from 2016 to 2020.
When it comes in pill form, melatonin is a sleep aid that should be
taken an hour or so before sleep. Unlike most sleep medications,
melatonin is considered a sleep supplement in the US, which is why it is
available without a prescription. This is not always the case in other
countries, such as Canada, which regulate melatonin as a medication.
Compared to traditional sleeping pills,
melatonin is not considered habit-forming, and it's also available for
kids in the form of sweet gummy vitamins. Safer it may be, but melatonin
is not a completely benign sleep aid. In fact, overdosing on melatonin
can lead to toxicity symptoms, especially in kids.
How is melatonin dangerous to kids?
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report
in 2020, melatonin is a common cause of poison control queries in kids.
During the past decade, calls to poison control centers concerning
melatonin ingestion in kids increased by 530 percent!
A melatonin overdose can lead to symptoms like headaches, digestive
issues, and excessive sleepiness. In the majority of cases, these
melatonin overdoses were accidental and didn’t cause any adverse
symptoms. However, 14.7% of kids required hospitalization, 1% ended up
in intensive care units, and 2 children died following a melatonin
overdose.
It is for this reason that, on September
20, 2022, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a notice,
advising parents to store melatonin pills away from children, just as
you would with any other potentially dangerous medication. The
organization also recommends consulting a pediatrician before giving
melatonin to kids.
When is the sleep aid helpful for kids?
Pediatricians point out that there are many legitimate uses of melatonin
for kids. For one, it was found to help kids with autism who have
insomnia. “For children with primary sleep-onset insomnia, melatonin can
be helpful. It can also be beneficial for children on the spectrum of
neurodiversity, or with neurodevelopment differences, who may have
difficulty initiating sleep,” states Dr. Janine Zee-Cheng, a
pediatrician in Indiana to Huffington Post.
That being said, it is advised that parents consult and pediatrician
before giving their kids melatonin, as doses range greatly (from 0.5 to 6
mg) depending on the child’s issue, age, and weight.
Ask your doctor which brand and type of
melatonin they recommend too. Since melatonin is classified as a
nutritional supplement in the US, it falls within the same regulations
as other supplements. First and foremost, this means that producers of
melatonin supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
Without rigorous supervision, companies can get away with putting
various doses of melatonin or even mixing in unrelated ingredients and
byproducts. A research article showed that the dose of melatonin in
various supplements ranged by 465 percent even different lots of the
same supplement.
The same study also reports that nearly 25% of the melatonin supplements
they tested also contained serotonin. In high doses, serotonin triggers
a condition called serotonin syndrome, the symptoms of which range from
shivering and diarrhea to fever, muscle rigidity, and seizures. “Severe
serotonin syndrome can cause death if not treated,” states the Mayo
Clinic.
What can parents do?
First and foremost, avoid leaving any
medication, including supplements, within the child’s reach. Melatonin
often comes in sweet gummies, which are basically candy for a child.
Kids may seek out and eat several of these gummy vitamins and
supplements, and this could lead to an overdose. And if you’re
considering giving your child any supplement, especially melatonin,
consult a pediatrician first.
Apart from that, you can promote healthy sleep habits in the child
naturally. First and foremost, know how much sleep your kids require.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids
require between 8-13 hours of sleep daily, namely:
Preschool Age (3-5 years) - 10-13 hours
(including naps)
School Age (6-12 years) - 9-12 hours
Teenagers (13-18 years) - 8-10 hours.
To promote healthy sleep habits, start a consistent bedtime schedule for
the little ones. You can also try limiting their light exposure 2 hours
before bed. This is especially important when it comes to blue light
from TVs, phones, and other electronic devices, which have been found to
suppress the production of melatonin in the body.
Over time, you’ll surely be able to instill those healthy sleep habits
in the little ones. And for a little help, here’s a list of articles
full of helpful sleep tips: