Melatonin ingestion leads to thousands of children landing in ER

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 11,000 children have landed in the emergency room in recent years after ingesting melatonin while unsupervised.

Based on nearly 300 cases between 2019 and 2022, the researchers estimated that 10,930 emergency department visits occurred during that time period, accounting for about 7% of all ER visits for unsupervised medication exposures in infants and young children.

More than half of accidental ingestions involved children between 3 and 5 years old, and the majority of visits did not involve additional medications.

The researchers said it is important for adults who live in homes with young children to consider products with child-resistant packaging. 

Full story: CDC

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