Melatonin can trigger seizures among children

01 June 1998

American doctors have found that melatonin the supplement used to help improve sleep patterns can cause seizures in children, and make attacks more frequent if the child already suffers from them.

Doctors made the discovery after testing melatonin on six children, aged from 9 months to 18 years, who had poor sleep patterns.

Although five enjoyed a longer sleep, four suffered seizures one for the first time.

Seizure levels all returned to normal once the melatonin was stopped, said doctors at the Children's Memorial Hospital (Lancet, 1998; 351: 1254).

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