Doctors warn against melatonin for children - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Doctors warn against melatonin for children

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Doctors say if your kids have trouble sleeping, melatonin may not be the best option. A pediatrician recommended the supplement for Missy St. Peter's daughter who couldn't sleep through the night. It works well for her daughter, but when her seven-year-old son had sleep issues, melatonin didn't work.

"Every time I give him melatonin he wakes up in the middle of the night and he's terrified. I stopped the melatonin," she said.

"It's possibly thought to affect growth, to affect sexual development and puberty and a lot of different effects. It is a hormone. It definitely can have these severe interactions that you might not think of just looking at the pill on the counter and buying it over the counter thinking it is safe," said Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, toxicologist.

Melatonin is not approved by the FDA because it's considered a food supplement, not a medication. Doctors recommend examining bed time routines, exposure to bright screens, exercise and diet before resorting to melatonin.

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