Nearly 11,000 U.S. children recently visited an emergency room after ingesting melatonin they took without supervision, according to a new federal report. Building on prior research, the report notes a 420% increase in children taking the sleep-inducing supplement and landing in emergency centers in the past 10 years.
Melatonin is a hormone the brain produces in response to darkness. It is an increasingly popular adult supplement sold as tablets or gummies that people take to help with sleep. The report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a startling increase in infants and children consuming the supplement when their parents or caretakers weren’t watching, often leading to calls to poison centers and emergency visits.
The high number of unsupervised melatonin ingestions “highlights the continued need to educate parents and other caregivers about the importance of keeping all medications and supplements (including gummies) out of children’s reach and sight,” CDC researchers said in the report.
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Researchers estimated that infants and children made 10,930 emergency visits between 2019 and 2022 after ingesting melatonin when their parents weren’t watching.
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Supplements like melatonin don’t face the same level of scrutiny as prescription meds, in terms of packaging safety. Federal regulations do not require child-resistant packaging for melatonin, CDC researchers said. And users don’t necessarily know what they’re buying. A 2023 Journal of the American Medical Association study found most melatonin gummies are not accurately labeled.
About a third of infants and children in the data had accessed melatonin from a bottle. The research suggested that bottles had not been properly closed.
The 420% increase in emergency visits was determined based on data from 2009 and 2020, CDC researchers said. A prior CDC report found a 530% increase in calls to poison centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion. In 2012, there were about 8,300 such calls. By 2021, there were more than 52,500 cases. The report found two children under 2 who had died after ingesting melatonin in that period.
The number of cases coincides with an overall rise in Americans using melatonin. Only 0.4% of adults used it in from 1999 to 2000. That jumped to 2.1% from 2017 to 18, a 2022 JAMA study showed.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health said parents should consult a health care provider before giving melatonin to children. Adults should also ensure they’ve safely stored the supplements and are using them as directed, the agency said.
Dr. Debi Johnson is a medical expert and health journalist dedicated to promoting well-being. With a background in medicine, she offers evidence-based insights into health trends and wellness practices. Beyond her reporting, Dr. Debi enjoys hiking, yoga, and empowering others to lead healthier lives.
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