305 - Analyzing Children’s Edible Melatonin Product Reviews at Major Retailers and Pharmacies

Monday, May 1, 2023

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Poster Number: 305
Publication Number: 305.408

Kara Sangiuolo, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Fairfield, CT, United States; Fiona P. Dubrosa, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Ruth Milanaik, Cohen Children's Medical Center, Lake Success, NY, United States; Abhijeet Grewal, Cohen's Children Medical Center, New York, NY, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Kara Sangiuolo, BA (she/her/hers)

Visiting Scholar and Clinical Research Assistant
Cohen Children's Medical Center
Fairfield, Connecticut, United States

Background: Children’s melatonin gummies/chewables (CMGC) have risen in popularity and can be easily purchased over-the-counter (OTC). There is a lack of consensus among pediatricians regarding the safety and efficacy of administering edible melatonin to youth, and how the general public views CMGC is currently unknown.

Objective: To examine OTC CMGC reviews at major retailers/pharmacies to assess caregiver perception of the efficacy of CMGC and guide pediatric recommendations.

Design/Methods:
Using the search term “melatonin for kids,” the top 5 most-reviewed CMGC under default sorting on 5 major retailer/pharmacy websites were analyzed. The following data were collected for each product and corresponding reviews: 1) store name; 2) CMGC product name; 3) number of reviews/breakdown by star rating; 4) sleep quality; 5) taste/texture; 6) ingredients; 7) mention of developmental challenges (i.e., ADHD, ASD); 8) dosage; 9) pricing/packaging; 10) side effects (SE). Descriptive analysis was conducted.

Results:
A total of 2,573 reviews for 19 CMGC products were assessed: 5 star (n=1,830, 71%); 4 star (n=388, 15%); 3 star (n=168, 7%); 2 star (n=85, 3%); 1 star (n=102, 4%). There were a total of 3,432 positive and 252 negative comments across reviews. Overall, reviewers most frequently mentioned CMGC helped with falling/staying asleep (n=1,474, 57%) and had desirable taste/texture (n=955, 27%) (Table 1). Of the highest-rated reviews (4-5 stars, n=2,218), comments most often included improvement in falling/staying asleep (n=1,378, 62%). The lowest-rated reviews (1-2 stars, n=187) most often mentioned no improvement in falling/staying asleep (n=66, 35%). 33 reviewers (1%) mentioned SE and concern about daily CMGC use. Reported SE included irritability, nightmares, and muscle spasms; additional concerns included interference with sleep cycle and dependency. See Figure 1 for positive vs. negative sample reviews.

Conclusion(s):
The overwhelming majority of reviewers reported positive opinions of CMGC. Across reviews, falling/staying asleep and taste/texture were consistently the most important characteristics. While positive impressions trumped negative reviews of CMGC, critiques regarding SE and concern about daily use reveal the importance of working with medical professionals to optimize sleep hygiene. More research must be done to examine the efficacy, SE, and long term effects of melatonin usage, since this product is widely used OTC without FDA regulation.