Melatonin Is Sending Kids To The Hospital 🚑

Have you heard of The Dorito Theory?

Author

The Weekly Parent
March 12, 2024

TOP OF MIND

Melatonin is sending kids to the ER
Five months ago, we tried to answer the question, "Is Melatonin safe for kids?" and after sifting through all the research, we came to the conclusion that it's relatively safe if used sparingly.

Well, the CDC has released some new data, and unfortunately, people are not using it sparingly.

The number of kids aged 5 and younger who had to take a trip to the emergency room for unsupervised melatonin ingestion increased 420 percent from 2009 to 2020. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, 11,000 children had to visit the ER after ingesting too much melatonin.

The important bits
Melatonin is described as a "naturally-occurring hormone" that helps regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle. Most people believe if something is "natural" it must be safe, but that's not always the case. Just go try eating that weird looking mushroom in your backyard.

According to the report released this week by the CDC, the majority of accidental melatonin ingestions involved children between the ages of 3 to 5.

At least half of the ER visits for melatonin ingestions involved flavored products, such as gummies or chewable tablets, that 'might appeal to young children.' The authors noted that melatonin does not require child-resistant packaging, but such packaging can be voluntarily implemented.

The good news is that only around 7% of the emergency room visits turned into actual hospital stays. But experts are worried about that number creeping up due to the amount of kids having easy access to the supplement. Adding to the worry is the fact that bottles of melatonin may have "far higher" amounts of the drug than what the label indicates.

Basically, life is like a bottle of melatonin, you never know what you're gonna get.

What's it all mean?
Well, it means we might want to chill a little bit when it comes to handing out melatonin gummies like they're candy. As we mentioned months ago, when it comes to melatonin, most of the research out there has been focused on adults, and even then, it's only looking at short-term usage.

Experts don't know the long-term impacts, especially when it comes to children.

You know what won't send your kid to the emergency room? A bedtime story, provided you're not introducing them to the works of Stephen King.

One of our favorite bedtime books is 'Good Night, Farm' by Patricia Hegarty.

DID YOU HEAR

😋 The Dorito Theory
Have you ever consumed just a single Dorito? Probably not. Chances are, you're downing entire bags just like everyone else. And according to a video being spread on TikTok, that's the foundation of The Dorito Theory. The cheesy chip offers little-to-none nutritional value. It's not actually satisfying your hunger. The pleasure peaks while you're tasting it, so once it travels down your gullet, you immediately pop another in your mouth.

The realization of this has been helping parents adjust their parenting style. Read what they're doing differently here.

💤 Speaking of sleep
Who needs melatonin when you're wealthy enough to hire a sleep coach? Comedian/actress Amy Schumer went to Instagram this week to give a special shoutout to toddler sleep consultant Jessica Berk, who runs the site Awesome Little Sleepers. Schumer proudly proclaimed that her and her husband got their nights back, thanks to Berk helping their 4-year-old son develop a bedtime routine. We're not sure how much Berk charged Schumer, but her digital course, "Sleep Tight Without a Fight" is currently on sale for $250. If you happen to take it, please let us know if it worked. We really want to know.

🏆 How to raise a "successful" kid
According to the experts, there are five things you should be doing to raise a successful child. That's right... just five! We could have sworn that number was closer to one million. The five things you need to do? Prioritize self-confidence over self-esteem, teach self-control, give them autonomy, don't stress over perfection, and talk to them about financial literacy. You can read all about it here.

💬 Stop texting your kids at school
Nearly all teachers agree phones should not be allowed in the classroom as they serve as a constant distraction for kids. And some teachers are directly blaming the parents for this, calling them out for texting their kids while at school. Asking things like, "What do you want for dinner?" and "What did you get on your test?" Read why teachers say this is not healthy.

🧍‍♀️ What the heck is a concierge mom?
If you want your kids to never learn how to take care of themselves, you can hire a concierge mother to help them with mundane adult tasks when they go off to college. Seriously. People are doing this, and psychologists are a little concerned.

A DOSE OF GOOD

"Just send me a couple bucks and see what happens!" 😂

BITES WITH KIYAH

We eat a lot of avocados in our house. On toast (obviously!) but also in salads, on top of rice bowls and chili, and even in fudge pops! I used to use a sharp knife to remove the pit and slice into the avocado, but when I read this article about “avocado hand” (which describes the stab wounds and lacerations sustained while slicing or pitting avocados) I decided that we need to invest in some new tools to help us dig into these fruits more safely! These go-to products are linked below.

The Good Grips 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer (a game changer that's only $10).

A pair of cut resistant gloves. For just $13, you can make sure you hang on to your pinky finger.

And now that you have a safe way to cut avocado, why not put them to good use with these Garlicky (Black) Bean Tacos.

Kiyah is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition. Follow her on Instagram.

THE SECRET TO LASTING LOVE IS FIGHTING?

Clinical psychologists Julie Schwartz Gottman and John Gottman just published a new book titled Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection.

The Gottmans believe that if you love someone, you should learn how to fight with them.

“Conflict has a purpose, and that purpose is mutual understanding," says John Gottman. He claims that in his 40 years of research, he's found that the happiest and most successful couples don't avoid conflict, fear or anger. They simply learn to fight fair and productively.

Read more on how to do that here.

PARENTING WIN/FAIL

This week, loyal reader Danielle W. talks about how she saved family dinner time...

My kids are a little older now (14, 12) and are firmly in the "I'm too cool to do anything with my parents" phase. Because of this, my husband and I have been letting them get away with too much, lol, cause we don't want them to hate us even more. We've been letting them have phones at the dinner table, but last week, I looked around the dinner table and saw everyone's head down, not engaged at all, and I guess I had enough. We now have a strict 'no phone' policy at the dinner table and it's going really great! We're talking more and even laughing. Yes, laughing! Laughing with us, not at us!

Well, Danielle, I guess the "W" stands for win! Thanks for sharing.

If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at [email protected] and your story will be featured in a future edition!

HERE’S A QUESTION

Have you given your kids melatonin?

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Last week, we asked for your thoughts on Stanley Cups, and a little over 50% of you agreed, "Not worth the $$$"

RECALLS

More than 60,000 infant swings sold at Walmart stores and online are being recalled because they pose a suffocation risk for infants.

The swings in question, Jool Baby's Nova Baby infant swings, violate federal law as they were designed and marketed for infant sleep while having an incline angle exceeding 10 degrees. They were sold between November 2022 and November 2023.

According to the CPSC, customers should stop using the swings for sleep and contact Jool Baby to receive a free repair kit by uploading a photo of the warning label to the firm's online registration page.