Each year in the United States, approximately 35,000 children under 5 years old are brought to the emergency department because of unintentional medication overdoses. The dangers of children accessing medicine, vitamins, and other supplements, including those gummy forms, not intended for them are significant and can lead to serious consequences. Young children are naturally curious and often explore their surroundings by putting objects they find in their mouths, including pills, capsules, or liquid medicines.
Healthcare professionals can play a role in preventing these incidents by counseling and educating parents and caregivers on safe medicine storage practices and emphasizing the importance of keeping medicines and supplements, including gummies, stored safely in a high cabinet, high closet shelf, or other location that is up and away, out of reach and sight of young children. By raising awareness and taking proactive measures to prevent unintended ingestions, we can help ensure the safety and well-being of young children.
1. Emergency department visits by young children due to unintentional melatonin ingestions have increased by 420%.
Unsupervised melatonin exposure in young children has increased substantially in recent years. From 2009 to 2020 there was an estimated 420% increase in emergency department visits due to unintentional melatonin ingestions by young children. In 2020, US poison control centers received more calls about pediatric overdoses of melatonin than any other substance.
Melatonin gummies, while commonly used as a sleep aid for adults and children, can lead to harm if unintentionally ingested by young children. The colorful appearance and fruity flavors of melatonin gummies can attract young children, making them more likely to mistake them for candy and consume them in large quantities. This increases the risk for overdose and other harmful effects.
A recent MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) article reported that during 2019-2022, 11,000 children aged 5 years or younger were brought to an emergency department after ingesting melatonin that was left within reach. During this time, melatonin products were implicated in 7% of all ED visits for unsupervised medicine exposures by young children, and more than one half of the visits for melatonin ingestions involved children ages 3-5 years.
To mitigate these risks, caregivers should store melatonin products, including gummies and other flavored formulations, securely out of reach and sight of young children, preferably in child-resistant containers. Caregivers should be reminded about the potential dangers of melatonin overdose in children and should be encouraged to always supervise the use and storage of these products.
2. Medicines, vitamins, and other supplements often resemble candy to young children.
Children’s curiosity and the enticing appearance of some medicines and supplements, especially gummies, can lead to dangerous situations where children mistake them for candy. Many medicines and supplements come in brightly colored pills, capsules, or gummy and liquid formulations that resemble candy or other treats to a young child. Ingesting medicine or supplements in the wrong amount, or intended for another person, can result in overdose, adverse reactions, or toxicity.
Teaching children what medicine is and the difference between medicine and candy can help prevent unintentional ingestion. When suggesting an over-the-counter medication or supplement that comes in candy-like form, such as gummies, you can discuss with the caregiver:
- How to teach their child what medicine is and why it’s important that only a trusted caregiver must give them their medicine.
- To never tell children that medicine is candy to encourage them to take it.
3. Child-resistant containers reduce risk.
Most medicines in the United States come in containers with child-resistant packaging to help prevent or delay unintended access by young children. Some products, like vitamins and other supplements, including those in gummy forms, may not require child-resistant packaging. P roducts packaged in containers with simple twist-off caps or flip-top lids are easy for young children to open. Without child-resistant packaging, they are more accessible to curious children who may mistake them for toys or candy.
In the recent study of emergency room visits for unintentional melatonin ingestions by young children, three fourths of the visits in which the type of container was documented involved a child accessing the melatonin from a bottle, suggesting that a child independently opened the bottle or that the container was not properly closed. To reduce the risks associated with medicines without child-resistant packaging, caregivers must take extra precautions to store them securely.
Healthcare professionals can educate parents about the potential dangers of medicines and supplements that are not kept in child-resistant containers. They can also suggest that households with young children select products that contain child-resistant packaging.
4. Healthcare professionals can help protect young children.
Talking to caregivers about taking proactive measures to prevent unintended ingestions can help ensure the safety and well-being of young children and families in your care. To prevent accidental ingestion, it is crucial for parents and caregivers to keep all medicines and supplements safely up and away, out of reach and sight of young children, preferably in child-resistant containers that are kept in a location such as a high cabinet or a high closet shelf. Remind caregivers to never refer to medicine as candy and to educate children about what medicine is and why a parent or other trusted caregiver must be the one to give it to them.
Remind parents and caregivers to keep the Poison Help number on hand: 1-800-222-1222 in case of an unintended ingestion or other exposure. It’s also good to safely dispose of unneeded medicines to avoid unintended exposures. For more information visit FDA’s resources and materials.
5. FREE educational material for safe medication storage is available to healthcare facilities and pharmacies.
The Up and Away campaign of the CDC-led PROTECT Initiative has several free educational resources available for order, print, and download. These resources include brochures and posters that provide helpful tips for parents and caregivers on how to store medicines safely.
Download these resources and hang them in your waiting rooms, exam rooms, and pharmacy. Pharmacists can also give each patient or caregiver a hand-out when picking up prescriptions.
Order and ship Up and Away resources free of charge: Resource Order Form
View and download resources in English and Spanish at UpAndAway.org.
