U.S. Survey Finds Increase in Use of Alternative Medicines Like Melatonin Among Children

A study based on three cycles of a national survey has found that the use of alternative medicines has increased among children. The study, titled, “Changes in Dietary Supplement Use Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015-2016 to 2021-2023,” published online on April 24 in the AAP’s open access journal Pediatrics Open Science, used data on children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the most recent three cycles: 2015-2016, 2017-2020, and 2021-2023. Data from the two oldest cycles were pooled and compared to the 2021-2023 cycle and found that the increase was primarily driven by melatonin, probiotics, and fiber supplements with both probiotic use and fiber supplement use more than doubling. Overall and across all cycles, over 35% of children and adolescents surveyed used dietary supplements. Changes were noted by demographic data - in particular, once children reached adolescence - where iron, zinc, probiotics, and weight-loss supplements were more often used by girls and melatonin and bodybuilding supplements being used more often by boys. Despite data showing that one in five children took multivitamins or minerals across cycles, authors noted increases in single vitamins such as Vitamin D, zinc, and iron. Authors state that many of these supplements have been implicated in adverse drug events or poisonings in younger children and that there is limited evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Authors also state that the increase in melatonin use is of concern as emergency department visits for melatonin ingestions among the pediatric population have been on the rise. Evidence also shows that the melatonin content in these supplements often exceeds the amount labeled, the study states.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.