ER Visits for Unsupervised Melatonin Ingestion in Children Quadruple

A CDC report reveals a significant rise in emergency room visits among young children who accidentally ingest melatonin, often mistaking it for candy.

• Emergency room visits for children accidentally ingesting melatonin have quadrupled in the last decade, with about 11,000 cases reported between 2019 and 2022.
• Melatonin use among American adults has increased fivefold from 1999 to 2018, coinciding with a rise in pediatric exposures and ER visits.
• Nearly half of the incidents involved flavored melatonin products, such as gummies, which children may mistake for candy.
• Despite the increase in ER visits, the majority of cases did not result in hospitalization, but the safety of melatonin use in children remains unclear.
• Experts call for more research on the supervised use of melatonin in children and emphasize the importance of child-resistant packaging to prevent accidental ingestion.

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