International Pediatric Sleep Association publishes guidelines on melatonin use for childhood insomnia
Updated
Updated · Psychology Today · Apr 20
International Pediatric Sleep Association publishes guidelines on melatonin use for childhood insomnia
7 articles · Updated · Psychology Today · Apr 20
The guidelines, released at the IPSA biennial meeting in Florence, reference a 25-year study of 629 children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, showing 76.2% improved with supervised melatonin treatment.
Adverse effects such as morning sleepiness and nightmares were infrequent, and the guidelines stress melatonin should only follow unsuccessful behavioral interventions and be prescribed at the lowest effective dose under medical supervision.
With widespread global use, including 97.4% of surveyed Italian pediatricians prescribing melatonin, the IPSA warns against unsupervised or over-the-counter use, especially given unregulated products and limited long-term safety data.
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