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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Neuropediatrics 2023; 54(03): 167-173
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1761437
Review Article

Efficacy of Melatonin for Insomnia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis

Mei Xiong
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
2   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Fang Li
3   Department of Cardiology, People's Hospital of Jianyang City, Jianyang, China
,
Zhaohua Liu
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
4   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Xin Xie
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
5   Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
6   Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Nephropathy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Hongli Shen
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
2   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Weiteng Li
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
2   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Liping Wei
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
2   Department of Pediatric Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
,
Rongfang He
1   Department of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
7   Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin in treating insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from their inception to April 20, 2022. Data were extracted and assessed for quality by two researchers. Statistical analysis was performed using the Stata 15.0 software.

Results Four studies including 238 patients were included. The results showed that compared with the control group, melatonin could shorten the sleep-onset latency (standardized mean difference [SMD] = − 1.34, 95% CI: −2.19 to −0.48), reduce the number of awakenings (SMD = -2.35, 95% CI: −4.62 to −0.08), and prolong the total sleep time (SMD = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.5–2.33) in children with ASD.

Conclusion Melatonin has a certain effect on relieving sleep disturbances in children with ASD, which can shorten sleep latency, reduce the number of awakenings, and prolong total sleep time. Larger studies are required to verify this hypothesis.

Keywords

autism spectrum disorder - melatonin - children - meta-analysis

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 13 July 2022

Accepted: 05 November 2022

Article published online:
24 February 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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