Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
Department of Public Health, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Sleep Med. 2024 Feb;114:49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.12.018. Epub 2023 Dec 22.
Pediatric melatonin use is increasingly prevalent in the U.S. despite limited research on its efficacy and long-term safety. The current study investigated factors contributing to parents' decisions whether to give children melatonin.
Parents of children 1.0-13.9 years completed an online questionnaire on children's health, sleep, and melatonin use. Parents who reported giving melatonin to their child were asked open-ended follow-up questions on why their child takes melatonin and why they stopped (if applicable). Responses were assigned to categories through thematic coding.
Data were analyzed on 212 children who either consumed melatonin in the past 30 days (n = 131) or took melatonin previously (n = 81). Among children who recently took melatonin, 51.1 % exhibited bedtime resistance and 46.2 % had trouble falling asleep. Parents most commonly gave children melatonin to: help them fall asleep (49.3 %), wind down before bedtime (22.7 %), facilitate changes in their sleep routine (17.5 %), and/or change their circadian rhythm (11.4 %). Parents stopped giving melatonin because their child did not need it anymore (32.0 %), experienced negative side effects (9.3 %), and/or concerns about health and safety (13.3 %). Finally, parents initiated melatonin use on their own (50.0 %), were encouraged by a friend or family member (27.4 %), and/or followed the recommendation of a health provider (48.1 %).
Parents administered melatonin to children for a number of reasons and discontinued melatonin based on their own observations of a variety of effects. Parents frequently initiated use without the recommendation of a medical professional. Further research on indications and efficacy of melatonin and wider dissemination of guidelines are needed to help parents make informed decisions regarding children's sleep health.
尽管关于褪黑素的疗效和长期安全性的研究有限，但在美国，儿童褪黑素的使用越来越普遍。本研究调查了导致父母决定是否给孩子服用褪黑素的因素。
1.0-13.9 岁儿童的父母完成了一份关于儿童健康、睡眠和褪黑素使用情况的在线问卷。向报告给孩子服用褪黑素的父母询问有关孩子服用褪黑素的原因和停止服用的原因（如果适用）的开放性后续问题。通过主题编码将回答分配到类别中。
对过去 30 天内服用过褪黑素的 212 名儿童（n=131）或之前服用过褪黑素的 81 名儿童进行了数据分析。在最近服用褪黑素的儿童中，51.1%表现出就寝时间抵抗，46.2%入睡困难。父母最常给孩子服用褪黑素的原因是：帮助入睡（49.3%）、睡前放松（22.7%）、促进睡眠习惯的改变（17.5%）和/或改变昼夜节律（11.4%）。父母停止给孩子服用褪黑素的原因是孩子不再需要（32.0%）、出现负面副作用（9.3%）和/或对健康和安全的担忧（13.3%）。最后，父母自行决定给孩子服用褪黑素（50.0%）、受到朋友或家人的鼓励（27.4%）和/或听从医疗服务提供者的建议（48.1%）。
父母给孩子服用褪黑素的原因很多，并根据自己观察到的各种效果停止服用褪黑素。父母经常在没有医疗专业人员建议的情况下开始使用。需要进一步研究褪黑素的适应症和疗效，并更广泛地传播指南，以帮助父母就儿童睡眠健康做出明智的决定。
