Melatonin overdoses only got worse during the pandemic.
Per the study, published on Friday by the CDC, the amount of overdoses in children per year increased by 530 percent between 2012 and 2021.
“Increasing use of over-the-counter melatonin might place children at risk for potential adverse events,” per the researchers. “Public health initiatives should focus on raising awareness of increasing melatonin ingestions among children and on preventive measures to eliminate this risk.” The pandemic also played its role in this situation, with researchers noticing that “the largest annual increase in pediatric melatonin ingestions coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic” and adding that the increased time at home and increasing sleep disturbances during that period probably made melatonin more available at home.
There’s also some concerns over the “variability in melatonin content across products” — with researchers noting that the variety of supplements on the markets can contain different formulations with different amounts of melatonin that can effect bodies differently. Add that with the United States more relaxed restrictions on melatonin — counting it as an OTC dietary supplement with less regulation — and that helps add context to the increase.
As SheKnows previously reported, the concerns over mislabeling or misrepresenting the formulation of various melatonin products has been a concern for a while: “