Four Daycare workers arrested for allegedly adding melatonin to children’s food in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the United Kingdom.
Police disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
In November 2023, police in Manchester, New Hampshire, began investigating an in-home daycare on Amory Street after receiving reports of “unsafe practices.” This investigation led to the arrest of a daycare owner and three employees for allegedly adding melatonin to children’s food without parental consent.
According to a statement from the Manchester Police Department, the melatonin was surreptitiously mixed into the children’s meals.
Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, is generally considered safe for short-term use but should not be administered without proper authorization, especially to children.
“Through the investigation, police determined that the children’s food was being sprinkled with melatonin without their parent’s knowledge or consent,” police said regarding the case.
“The hormone melatonin plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle. Natural levels of melatonin in the blood are highest at night. Some research suggests that melatonin supplements might be helpful in treating sleep disorders, such as delayed sleep phase. They also may provide some relief from insomnia and jet lag,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “Melatonin is generally safe for short-term use. Unlike with many sleep medications, with melatonin you are unlikely to become dependent on it, have less response to it after repeated use or experience a hangover effect,” the statement added
The daycare owner, 52-year-old Sally Dreckmann, along with employees 51-year-old Traci Innie, 23-year-old Kaitlin Filardo, and 23-year-old Jessica Foster, have all been charged with 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child. They turned themselves in to police
The investigation is ongoing, and details regarding the duration and dosage of the melatonin administration have not yet been disclosed.
