Alexa Lardieri US Health Deputy Editor Dailymail.Com
November 13, 2023 16:17, updated November 13, 2023 16:42
- Almost 20 percent of school-age children take hormonal sleeping pills
- But experts are concerned about the lack of research on long-term effects.
- Read more: Almost half of parents have given melatonin to children under 13
Nearly 20 per cent of five to 13-year-olds are taking the sleep aid melatonin, up from just 1 per cent six years ago, with scientists “alarming” at its increasing use.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder analyzed data from 993 children between the ages of 1 and 13 and found that use of this hormone increased significantly with age.
Overall, in the past 30 days, about 39 percent of the children in this story received melatonin, a hormone naturally produced in the body and involved in sleep.
The prevalence of melatonin intake was highest among children aged 10 to 13, with 19.4% of parents reporting that they took melatonin. Prevalence was second highest in children aged 5 to 9 years, with 18.5% of parents reporting taking a sleep aid in the past 30 days.
“We hope this paper raises awareness among parents and clinicians and serves as a wake-up call to the scientific community,” said lead author Dr. Lauren Hartstein, a fellow in the Sleep Development Laboratory at UW Boulder.
“We’re not saying melatonin is necessarily harmful to children. But we need more research before we can say with confidence that it’s safe for children to take long-term.” is needed.”
The lowest percentage of parents reporting consumption was among children ages 1 to 4, at 5.6 percent.
A team from the University of California, Boulder, reported that in a 2017-2018 study, only 1.3% of U.S. parents reported that their child had taken melatonin in the past 30 days.
In the United States, supplement sales doubled from 2017 to 2020.
Your brain responds to darkness by producing melatonin, which helps regulate your body’s internal clock and signals your body that it’s time to sleep.
In many countries, this hormone is classified as a medicine and is available only by prescription from a doctor.
However, in the United States, melatonin supplements are available over-the-counter as dietary supplements (including gummies for children) without a prescription, and can be used as a sleep aid for people who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
“The fact that so many children are taking melatonin suggests that there are many underlying sleep issues that need to be addressed,” Hartstein said. Treating the symptoms does not necessarily address the cause. ”
A team of researchers at the University of California, Boulder found that the typical number of days per week for melatonin use was five days per week, highest in children between the ages of one and four. From the age of 10 until he was 13 he was reported to be using it 3 days a week.
Children aged 5 to 9 years had the least amount of melatonin intake per week, at 2 days.
Research indicates that melatonin supplements are generally considered safe for short-term use. Mild side effects include headache, dizziness, nausea, and drowsiness.
Some scientists have raised concerns that administering melatonin to young children, whose brains and bodies are still growing, could interfere with their development and the timing of the onset of puberty.
However, research on the long-term safety of melatonin use in children is lacking, and the few small studies conducted on this issue have yielded inconsistent results.
Melatonin dietary supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so the actual amount of melatonin in each pill cannot be monitored.
in another study An analysis of 25 commercially available hormone supplements from April found that the actual melatonin content ranged from 74 percent to 347 percent of the labeled content.
“Parents may not actually know what they are giving their children when administering these supplements,” Hartstein said.
Additionally, the increased availability of gummy supplements that resemble and taste like candy has increased the risk of children accidentally ingesting dangerous levels of hormones.
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the authors found that reports of melatonin ingestion to poison control centers increased by 530 percent from 2012 to 2021, with many occurring in children under 5 years of age. He pointed out that there was.
More than 94 percent of cases were unintentional and 85 percent were asymptomatic.
Co-author Dr. Julie Borgers, a psychologist and pediatric sleep expert, says melatonin, when used under medical supervision, can be used as a short-term sleep aid, especially for children with autism or severe sleep disorders. He said it could be helpful.
She added: “However, it is rarely a first-line treatment. Although generally well tolerated, caution should always be taken when using any drug or supplement on a young, developing body.” is.”
Dr. Bolgers said she often recommends that families focus first on behavioral changes and only use melatonin temporarily.