Certain populations should avoid the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin

ANSES: Under the national nutrivigilance scheme, reports of adverse effects likely to be associated with the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin have been brought to the attention of ANSES. A retrospective analysis of these reports, combined with the considerable level of consumption of this type of supplement, led ANSES to conduct an assessment of the potential health risks. In the Opinion it is publishing today, the Agency highlights the existence of populations and situations at risk, for which the consumption of melatonin in the form of a food supplement should be avoided or medical advice should be sought. This mainly concerns pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and adolescents, people suffering from inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, people with epilepsy, asthma, or suffering from mood, behaviour or personality disorders, and anyone being treated with medication. People carrying out any activity requiring sustained vigilance where drowsiness could pose a safety problem should also avoid its consumption.

Warning on use of melatonin for children's sleep

Adelaide University. Australia: Sleep researchers at the University of Adelaide are warning doctors and parents not to provide the drug melatonin to children to help control their sleep problems. Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body with the onset of darkness. It plays an important role in fine tuning people's circadian rhythms, such as the timing of sleep onset, as well as other biological processes. In a paper published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, Professor David Kennaway, Head of the Circadian Physiology Laboratory at the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, warns that providing melatonin supplements to children may result in serious side effects when the children are older.