The Role of Melatonin in Children’s Health
Introduction
Melatonin, a hormone produced naturally by the body to regulate sleep, has become a popular supplement for children struggling with sleep disorders. While it can be beneficial in certain cases, there are risks associated with its use, especially in young children. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of using melatonin in children and discuss important safety considerations.
The Case of Courtney Stinson
Courtney Stinson, a mother living in Milan, MI, faces the challenges of caring for her 9-year-old daughter who suffers from congenital myopathy and relies on a ventilator to breathe. To improve her daughter’s sleep, Stinson turned to melatonin under the guidance of a pediatrician. While melatonin helped calm her daughter’s racing mind, it also raised concerns about the safety and appropriate usage of this supplement.
Rising Trends and Concerns
Recent data from the CDC highlights a significant increase in accidental ingestion of melatonin among young children, leading to a surge in calls to poison centers and emergency department visits. The growing popularity of melatonin supplements among adults and children has raised concerns about proper dosing and supervision.
Expert Recommendations
Experts advise that melatonin should be used under a doctor’s supervision, especially in children with complex medical conditions. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine warns against the indiscriminate use of melatonin in healthy children and emphasizes the importance of promoting good sleep habits as a first-line treatment for sleep disturbances.
Best Practices for Melatonin Use
When considering melatonin for children, it is essential to start with the lowest effective dose and follow a pediatrician’s recommendations. Proper timing of administration and attention to sleep hygiene are crucial for maximizing the benefits of melatonin while minimizing potential risks.
Safety Precautions and Considerations
As melatonin supplements are available in appealing forms like gummies, parents must ensure proper storage and child-safe packaging to prevent accidental ingestion. Monitoring dosage and duration of use is also essential to avoid long-term dependence on melatonin as a sleep aid.
Additional Insights
One of the key challenges in using melatonin is the lack of regulation in supplement products, leading to variations in potency and potential overdosing risks. Educating parents and caregivers on safe melatonin use and alternative sleep management strategies is crucial for protecting children’s health and well-being.
Conclusion
While melatonin can offer benefits in certain cases, its widespread use in children necessitates caution and informed decision-making. By understanding the risks and best practices associated with melatonin supplementation, parents can prioritize their children’s sleep health and overall wellness.
Summary:
In summary, melatonin can be a valuable tool in managing sleep disorders in children, but it should be used cautiously and under medical supervision. The increasing trend in melatonin use highlights the importance of awareness about proper dosing and safety precautions to prevent unintentional ingestion and overdose. By incorporating expert recommendations and best practices, parents can make informed decisions regarding melatonin supplementation for their children’s sleep health.
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March 21, 2024: For Courtney Stinson, ensuring her daughter’s comfort is a constant battle against the challenges of congenital myopathy. At 9 years old, she is dependent on a ventilator to breathe, receives multiple respiratory treatments daily, and is under the constant care of trained caregivers who rotate. Last year alone, she had to endure 36 doctor appointments.
To alleviate her daughter’s sleep problems, and after consulting a pediatrician, Stinson turned to melatonin, a hormone produced naturally by the body to control sleep. He gave her daughter a low dose of melatonin and noticed a significant improvement in her ability to calm down, especially when her mind was racing.
“It would be very difficult for you to sleep when everything is spinning in your head,” said Stinson, a mother of two who lives in Milan, MI. “It’s been really helpful when her brain is moving at 100 miles an hour.”
Melatonin is sold over the counter as a sleep aid in supplement form. For some parents, especially those whose children have complex needs, melatonin can be a valuable resource, but the increase in melatonin in otherwise healthy populations has also had its consequences, according to pediatric sleep experts.
Recent data from the CDC illustrates one of these drawbacks: a significant increase in accidental ingestion of melatonin among young children over the past two decades.
Between 2012 and 2021, calls to poison centers related to pediatric melatonin exposures skyrocketed by 530%, while emergency department visits for unsupervised ingestion of melatonin by infants and toddlers increased by 420%. % between 2009 and 2020, according to the CDC report.
Between 2019 and 2022, an estimated 10,930 emergency room visits were related to 295 cases of children under 6 years of age ingesting melatonin. According to the report, these incidents accounted for 7.1% of all emergency department visits for medication exposure in this age group.
The proportion of American adults who consume melatonin increased from 0.4% between 1999 and 2000 to 2.1% between 2017 and 2018.
Doctors say the growing number of melatonin-related incidents underscores the need for greater awareness and safety measures to protect young children from an unintentional overdose, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and confusion.
“I think there is a safe way to use it in certain children, but it should only be used under a doctor’s supervision,” said Laura Sterni, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Sleep Center. “There are dangers in using it without that guidance.”
Almost 1 in 5 children consumes melatonin
Nearly 1 in 5 school-aged children and preteens take melatonin to help them sleep, according to research published last year in JAMA Pediatricswhich also found that 18% of children between 5 and 9 years old take the supplement.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a warning in 2022, recommended parents approach sleep aids with caution.
“While melatonin may be useful in treating certain sleep-wake disorders, such as jet lag, there is much less evidence that it can help healthy children or adults fall asleep faster,” said M. Adeel. Rishi, MD, vice president of the Academy of Sleep Medicine. Public Safety Committee, warned at the academy site. “Instead of turning to melatonin, parents should work to encourage their children to develop good sleep habits, such as setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time, having a bedtime routine, and limiting face time. screen as bedtime approaches.
What is the best way to give children melatonin?
Melatonin has been found to work well in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorderor other conditions such as blindness that can make it difficult to develop a normal circadian rhythm.
But beyond consulting a pediatrician, caregivers whose children are otherwise healthy should consider trying other approaches to sleep disruption first, Sterni said, and issues like proper sleep hygiene and anxiety should be addressed first.
“Most sleep problems in children should really be treated with behavioral therapy alone,” she said. “I think putting out a drug to treat that first is the wrong approach.”
Sterni also recommends starting with the lowest possible dose, which is 0.5 milligrams, with the help of your pediatrician. It should be taken 1 to 2 hours before bedtime and 2 hours after your last meal, she said.
But he notes that because melatonin is sold as a supplement and is not regulated by the FDA, it is impossible to know the exact amount in each dose.
According JAMAOf 25 melatonin supplements, most products contained up to 50% more melatonin than was listed.
Dangers of keeping it within reach
One of the biggest dangers for children is that melatonin is often sold in the form of gummies or chewable tablets, things that appeal to children, said Jenna Wheeler, MD, a pediatric critical care doctor at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. .
Because it is sold as a supplement, there are no child-safe packaging requirements.
“From a critical care standpoint, remember to keep it up, not on the nightstand or in a drawer,” Wheeler said. “A child may eat the entire bottle and think, ‘This is like fruit snacks.’”
He noted that the amount people need is usually less than what they buy in the store and that, regardless of whether it is used in adequate amounts, it is not intended to be a long-term supplement, for either adults or children.
“As with anything out there, it’s how you use it that’s important,” Wheeler said. “The problem is when children accidentally get into it or when it is not used properly.”
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