Warning issued over kids' magnesium supplement gummies

Melatonin can be given to children over the age of six for sleep management if other methods have failed.

It is often used for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or delayed sleep wake phase disorder (DSWPD) and for the short-term treatment of insomnia.

Children can be prescribed a starting dose of 1mg, up to 5mg of melatonin per day and no serious side effects have been identified in studies of children.

The gummies in question were recommended for children above the age of four to help support "calm, focus and digestion".

Magnesium glycinate is supposed to help support muscle function, improve sleep quality and regulate the body's nervous system.

Parents are being advised to dispose of the item at a local pharmacy and report any side effects to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, external.

The Nutrition Ignition brand website has now been deleted and products have been removed from online retailers such as Amazon and eBay.

As reported by The Guardian, external in June, the gummy brand was owned by Surrey-based NHS clinical therapy lead Sally Westcott.

She was ordered to remove the raspberry-flavoured gummies from sale more than a month ago by the MHRA after they were alerted to the sweets' hidden ingredients by two concerned mothers.

The women had the gummies tested when they noticed their young children falling asleep more quickly than usual after consuming them and it was then discovered that they contained melatonin.

Westcott, who is yet to comment on the MHRA report, said in June that she had "never knowingly sold products containing undeclared ingredients".