A recently published systematic review investigated the benefits and risks of melatonin supplementation for pediatric patients with sleep disturbances.
In order to determine which pediatric patients would benefit from exogenous melatonin supplementation, the study authors utilized PubMed to obtain pertinent randomized controlled trials, crossover studies, and meta-analyses; for each study, they assessed the objectives, outcome measurements, melatonin dosing, results, and author conclusions.
A total of 10 studies were included in the review. Evidence revealed that the specific populations of children that benefited from exogenous melatonin in particular included patients with atopic dermatitis, cystic fibrosis, behavioral disorders (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder), epilepsy, and idiopathic insomnia.
“The potential benefits of melatonin supplementation in other pediatric populations are less defined due to a paucity of existing data,” the study authors reported.
