ReviewThe journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG2021
Melatonin Use in Pediatrics: Evaluating the Discrepancy in Evidence Based on Country and Regulations Regarding Production.
Review in The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Melatonin Use in Young Children: A Systematic Review.JAMA network open · 2026Pooled it
- European expert guidance on management of sleep onset insomnia and melatonin use in typically developing children.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Guideline
- Melatonin in Clinical Practice: Grey Zones Between Chronobiology, Insomnia and Consumer Supplementation.Clocks & sleep · 2026Article
- Responsiveness of ThymoDreamFrontiers in sleep · 2026Article
- Melatonin use in the pediatric population: an evolving global concern.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2025Review
- Validated UHPLC Methods for Melatonin Quantification Reveal Regulatory Violations in EU Online Dietary Supplements Commerce.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- What do users in a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) forum think about the treatments they tried: Analysing treatment sentiment using machine learning.Physical and engineering sciences in medicine · 2025Article
- Melatonin Use in Pediatrics: A Clinical Review on Indications, Multisystem Effects, and Toxicity.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Community Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitudes and the Perceived Safety and Effectiveness of Melatonin Supplements: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Melatonin Use in Pediatric Intensive Care Units: A Single-Center Experience.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Variation in Twitter posts referencing pediatric sleep aids.Sleep health · 2023Article
- Use of melatonin in children and adolescents with idiopathic chronic insomnia: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and clinical recommendation.EClinicalMedicine · 2023Article
- Parental Experiences of Melatonin Administration to Manage Sleep Disturbances in Autistic Children and Adolescent in the UK.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Melatonin: Facts, Extrapolations and Clinical Trials.Biomolecules · 2023Review
- G Protein-Coupled Receptors and the Rise of Type 2 Diabetes in Children.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Adolescent sleep myths: Identifying false beliefs that impact adolescent sleep and well-being.Sleep health · 2022Article
- Melatonin Treatment for Pediatric Patients with Insomnia: Is There a Place for It?Nature and science of sleep · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Melatonin manufacturers in the United States have begun producing melatonin products specifically targeted for use in the pediatric population. This paper aims to critically evaluate the evidence available regarding the use of melatonin in children based on where the clinical trials are performed and the regulations regarding the production of melatonin in that country. Melatonin is regulated differently around the world with the least amount of regulation placed on OTC supplements in the United States. The majority of studies evaluating melatonin use in the pediatric population are conducted with children who have comorbidities, such as autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Evidence supporting the use of US formulations of melatonin in the otherwise healthy pediatric population is non-existent. Based on the lack of safety regulations in place in the United States and the lack of evidence regarding US melatonin products, they should be used sparingly in the otherwise healthy pediatric population, if they are used at all.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.