STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The yearly number of children who reportedly ingested melatonin increased fivefold between 2012 and 2021, federal health authorities said, with the number of pediatric hospitalizations and other serious outcomes also increasing during that span.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published Friday tracked a total of 260,435 melatonin ingestions among children, most of which — 94.3% — were unintentional.
While the total represents a small number of all pediatric ingestions, and nearly 83% of children were asymptomatic, the CDC said public health initiatives should focus on raising awareness of melatonin intake, which can cause gastrointestinal, cardiovascular or central nervous system issues.
“Public health initiatives should focus on raising awareness of increasing melatonin ingestions among children and on preventive measures to eliminate this risk,” the CDC said in the study.
The agency’s call comes as the sale of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep which is often sold in the form of a pill or tablet, is increasing throughout the United States — rising about 150% between 2016 and 2020.
The largest yearly increase in pediatric melatonin ingestions was between 2019 and 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the total rose nearly 38%, according to the CDC.
The agency said melatonin may have been more accessible to children who spent more time at home due to restrictive orders and school closures. Additionally, reports of increasing sleep disturbances during the pandemic may have caused parents to purchase more melatonin to keep within the home.
A recent, separate study found overall melatonin consumption rose around five-fold from the turn of the century to 2018. That rise came despite concern from experts over the long-term safety and effectiveness of the hormone supplement.
Hospitalization increases due to ingestions increased in a confounding development, said the CDC.
One possible cause, the agency theorized, is the wide variability in melatonin content across products, which have been previously found to not meet label claims.
More than 4,000 children were hospitalized over the 10-year span and just under 300 required intensive care, CDC data shows. Two children died.
To protect children, the CDC said measures like child-resistant packaging should be considered alongside health care provider warnings to parents about the potential toxic consequences of melatonin exposure.
