Parents are being warned against giving their children melatonin after an increase in accidental poisonings.
Experts say there’s no evidence that over-the-counter supplements help them sleep, and they don’t know what’s actually in many of the products.
Our bodies naturally produce the hormone melatonin to fall asleep by helping to regulate the circadian clock that controls our sleep/wake cycles.
Melatonin supplements may improve your sleep if you have disrupted circadian rhythms due to certain life circumstances such as plane delays or night shift work.
But they should never be the first tool parents of restless kids turn to, according to sleep scientists.
Increasingly, the supplement is being sold in gummy or chewable form with a punchy flavor, a trait experts warn makes them appealing to children.
“The availability of melatonin in the form of gum or chewable tablets makes children more attractive and more likely to take them,” says Dr. M. Adeel Rishi, vice president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Overdose”.
But evidence that sleep aids can help children with insomnia is scant, and experts recommend that parents work closely with their pediatrician before giving them to children.
Children’s melatonin ingestion reported for poison control, 2012-2021
“Parents should speak directly with their child’s healthcare professional before giving their child melatonin products,” adds Rishi. “Typically, behavioral interventions other than medication are successful in addressing insomnia in children.”
A shelf of children’s formulated melatonin supplements
While it can help stomach upset people fall asleep faster and sleep soundly, experts warn that less is more. According to Johns Hopkins sleep expert Luis F. Buenaver, take 1 to 3 milligrams two hours before bed.
It has become the go-to over-the-counter tablet for people who have trouble sleeping, and the market is booming. Sales grew from $285 million in 2016 to $821 million in 2020, according to the federal report.
The supplement is also very popular. A 30-tablet vial can be purchased at almost any pharmacy for as little as $10 (£9.10).
The AASM warning comes after a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in June said children’s annual intake of melatonin increased by 530% from 2012 to 2021 with a total of 260,435 times were reported.
Ingestion of melatonin accounts for nearly 5% of all childhood poisonings in 2021 compared with 0.6% in 2012, and is the most frequently ingested substance by children reported to national poison control centers. family.
Demographic analysis of poison control reports.
The number of hospitalizations due to melatonin ingestion also increased during that period, especially among children 5 years of age and younger, with 5 requiring mechanical ventilation and 2 deaths. But only 1% of children need intensive care.
While the majority of toxic control reports are asymptomatic, about 84% of the more severe symptoms involve the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, or central nervous systems.
Melatonin overdose is rarely fatal, but more severe cases can cause very low blood pressure, disorientation, and tremors. Vomiting is a common side effect of melatonin poison, and when your child starts slurring, it’s time to go to the emergency room.
Melatonin content can vary widely, with the greatest variation in marshmallow formulations more likely to be used by children.
In addition, serotonin, a breakdown product of melatonin, found in 26% of supplements in clinically significant doses may increase the risk of serotonin toxicity in children, the CDC reports. ” CDC reports.
Dietary supplements such as melatonin and multivitamins are not subject to the same stringent regulatory hurdles as prescription drugs and biologics.
The safety of melatonin is only guaranteed by the Food and Drug Administration until it is proven that the product is unsafe in the event that it is proven to cause harm to humans and then sues the manufacturer.
“Instead of switching to melatonin, parents should encourage their children to form good sleep habits, such as establishing regular bedtime and wake times, bedtime routines, and time limits,” says Rishi. device time when it’s time to go to bed.
Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk
