Child given melatonin without our consent

[HuckleberryBlackcurrant]

DS6 went to his first sleepover last night, at a close friend's house. 4 other kids were there also, ages 6-8.

His friend's mum messaged to say he was asleep shortly after 9 which I found unusual because he would usually stay up later with all that excitement. But I thought that he was just very tired. We have been very busy recently, he has been in swimming lessons and football and was starting a mild cold.

This afternoon when I picked him up it was casually mentioned that the kids were all dosed with melatonin. I know it's super common to do so but our son has never had melatonin, and we certainly would have said no if we were asked.

It put him into a really deep sleep, causing him to have an accident in the night which really embarrassed him.

I didn't really say anything when my friend mentioned this. I was a bit blindsided, and the party was still going on so I didn't know how best to address it.

My husband is really irritated that they went ahead and dosed our child without our consent. Melatonin has been something we agreed not to give our children unless medically directed. He wants me to say something to the parents. I'm inclined to leave it as he's unlikely to go there for a sleepover again for quite some time. I was thinking we could just bring it up if he ever sleeps there again.

My husband thinks that on principle, you don't give a child anything without their parents' consent, so we should raise the issue and set the boundary now. Our children do play there occasionally in the daytime. Usually he is the non confrontational one and I am the one bringing these things up. Idk if it's because I'm 38 weeks pregnant so I just don't feel like pursuing it?

What would you do? Are we right to be irritated?

Any substance can cause adverse reactions ,however insulin will.always lower a persons blood sugar and if they are not diabetic than it will cause hypoglycemia and potentially be fatal
Also its bought over the counter in the US so.they clearly don't think.its that dangerous
again. I wouldn't give melatonin to any random child and I don't think anyone on here is suggesting its a good idea but its not comparable to insulin .

No that's wrong of them. Melatonin is not available in the UK because it can make people reliant on it. I do take it as an adult but that's due to insomnia. A healthy child with no sleep issues does not need it.

Giving a child meds without asking a parent is really bad they had no idea if he had other medication it could have reacted with!

They essentially knocked your kid out for their own convenience. And if it put him in an unusually deep sleep then he wouldn't have woken if something was wrong....

Don't even get me started on predators knocking children out for nefarious reasons. I know it's not chloroform but melatonin takes me OUT.

"Melatonin can cause serious allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis in those susceptible, and can also cause kidney damage/blood in the urine and excess bruising. So yes,you can compare the two"

So does food...

My husband a retired legal/medic, his comment is ‘ What this parent did is dangerous and unacceptable, the mum needs telling that she could get into trouble for drugging children’ . What would happen if your child had a reaction to the drug?

100% this!

You can have an opinion too, not just your sounding important job DH.

Gummy or tablet it's the same thing. It's the same medication just made more palatable.

In fact it's worse as it makes him want the meds more because they taste nice.

Right!! Way too many people on this thread with the whole point going STRAIGHT over their heads.
it’s actually totally worrying that some people seem to be downplaying and defending these actions.
the facts are - A six year old was at a sleepover. The trustee caregivers at the sleepover took the decision upon themselves to give ALL the kids aged 6-8 at the sleepover a DRUG.
the so-called caregivers breached the trust of the OP.
The actions are unforgivable.
Hell would freeze over if I were OP.
I feel so angry on OP’s behalf.
No one needs to come back to me to reiterate that Melatonin is readily available from the chemist in America. It is wholly irrelevant!
What took place at that sleepover is highly alarming on a large scale.
I need to highlight again that ALL local authorities NEED to be alerted.

I don't have an issue with Melatonin per se. I would have an issue with not being asked...that is the angle I would be approaching with.

And given how common it is in the US I would see no reason to alert authorities or assume any thing nefarious, but assume that the children have them as part of their normal evening routines and they assumed the OPs child did too.

Half of American kids are routinely so drugged they can be abused, melatonin helps get you to sleep, not render you unconscious.

Half of American kids are routinely so drugged they can be abused, melatonin helps get you to sleep, not render you unconscious.

Bloody good time for a typo, are NOT routinely so drugged 🤦‍♂️

I take 2mg and it knocks me out in 15 minutes every time.

But……. Presumably it is a DRUG which is obtained for medical reasons.
reasons which DO NOT include “keeping someone else’s 6 year old quiet at a sleepover”.
it is using a drug DISGRACEFULLY irresponsibly. Unforgivable. They’d be out of our lives forever!!

And my son was prescribed 3-6 mg when he wss four and it had zero affect on him .

No, it isn't. You buy it in the supermarket with your vitamins.

@x2boys which just shows that it affects people differently and so they had 0 idea how a 6 year old would react to a drug he had never taken before.

This us my thinking too.,I wouldn't give another's persons child anything without asking a parent first because you never know if a child has allergies or whatever
But the reactions on this thread are somewhat extreme .

Everyone reacts differently to alcohol too. Still wouldn’t give vodka to someone else’s six year old would you.
i mean - it’s readily available for me to buy from the store AND alcohol is an approved food substance / food preservative.

IT IS CALLED COMMON SENSE AND BEING A NORMAL PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT CHILDREN AND HAVING AN OUNCE OF RESPONSIBILITY. ALSO - HAVING THE ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE THAT WHAT IS NORMAL FOR YOUR KID IS NOT NORMAL FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S KID.

@IhearyouClemFandango just because it's in the vitamin aisle doesn't mean it's not a drug