CDC: Children ER visits increased last 3 years for accidental melatonin ingestion
The organization’s three-year research found 11,000 children were brought to the hospital for ingesting melatonin.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen a recent uptick in children emergency room visits due to melatonin ingestion, a study says.
The organization’s three-year research found 11,000 children were brought to the hospital for ingesting melatonin, 5,000 of them from gummies which health officials say can seem like candy to kids.
More and more adults have melatonin supplements on hand to help them get a better night's sleep, officials say.
Doctors noted melatonin is a neurohormone produced by the brain that regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle but boosting it too much can cause low blood pressure, high heart rate, dizziness and confusion.
Just this week, the supplement trade group Council for Responsible Nutrition announced stricter voluntary guidelines to improve labeling and get manufacturers to put the supplements into child-proof bottles.
