Melatonin poisonings are on the rise among children in the United States.

Poison control calls have increased dramatically during the last decade.

According to a new study, melatonin poisoning in youngsters has increased considerably over the past decade.

Researchers found that between 2012 and 2021, the number of calls to poison control centers regarding youngsters who had taken excessive doses of the sleep-aid product rose by 530 percent.

Melatonin consumption was reported in more than 260,000 people, with over 27,000 children needing medical attention. More than 4,000 children were admitted to area hospitals, with approximately 290 requiring intensive care unit (ICU) attention. In the course of the illness, five children were placed on mechanical ventilators, and two children under the age of two perished.

Since 2012, the number of children under the age of 5 who have mistakenly consumed melatonin has grown, leading to more hospitalizations and other catastrophic effects. Researchers published their findings in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday (June 2), according to the researchers (opens in new tab).

Children should be made aware of the rise in melatonin ingestion and the need to establish preventative methods to reduce this risk, the authors concluded in their conclusion.

According to a previous article by Live Science, the brain's melatonin gland secretes a hormone that aids in the body's 24-hour circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle regulation. As a sleep aid for adults and children, synthetic melatonin is readily available in the United States.

Due to their classification as "dietary supplements" by the FDA, melatonin products face less regulation than prescription medications. Because the FDA does not verify the correctness of the label, the melatonin concentration in a product may differ from what is reported on the bottle. At least one Canadian study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2017 indicated that supplement melatonin concentrations varied substantially from what was claimed, and Canada prohibited OTC melatonin due to quality control problems. According to the authors of the MMWR report, no equivalent quality control investigations have been carried out in the United States.

The scientists said that melatonin supplements might pose a risk to youngsters because of a lack of quality control and the increased popularity of the supplement. According to the Mayo Clinic, some melatonin pills include clinically significant quantities of serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain that can lead to serious adverse effects if taken in large doses.

The latest study analyzed the poison control center from 2012 to 2021. They counted the number of "melatonin ingestions" reported among children, adolescents, and young adults under 19. Between 2012 and 2021, reported ingestions rose from approximately 8,300 to 52,500. The reporting rate increased by 38% between 2019 and 2020, the biggest year-to-year rise.

The researchers concluded that "unintentional ingestions were the key drivers of this increase." Melatonin may have been more readily available to youngsters because of school closures and stay-at-home orders during the pandemic."

People may have kept more melatonin in their homes due to increased sleeping problems during the pandemic.

Prevalence was highest among male children five and under, with "unintentional" consumption being the most common cause. Only a small percentage of cases resulted in life-threatening complications such as high fever and respiratory failure necessitating intubation and seizures, some of which resolved quickly. In contrast, according to the authors, others progressed to "status epilepticus," a long-lasting seizure that can cause permanent brain damage or death.

Boston Children's Hospital reports a preliminary study on the possible adverse effects of children utilizing melatonin as a sleep aid (opens in new tab). Side effects are rare or non-existent at prescribed dosages, and the severity is usually low if they do occur. Headaches, increased bedwetting, nightmares, dizziness, and morning grogginess are all common adverse effects.

However, given that melatonin is a hormone, there is some concern that long-term use may impact the hormones associated with puberty in youngsters. According to Boston Children's Hospital researchers, such impacts have been shown in certain animal experiments.

 

 

 

Article source : https://www.livescience.com/melatonin-poisoning-american-kids

Image source  : https://pixabay.com/id/photos/mimpi-awan-tidur-teks-fantasi-4827288/

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