Daycare owner, employees arrested in New Hampshire for secretly feeding children melatonin

A daycare owner and three of her employees turned themselves in on child endangerment charges in New Hampshire after investigators said they were sprinkling melatonin on children's food, Manchester Police said.

Daycare owner Sally Dreckmann, 52, and her employees Traci Innie, 51, Kaitlin Filardo, 23 and Jessica Foster, 23, of Manchester were taken into police custody after a lengthy investigation led by the Manchester Police Juvenile Division determined that they were lacing children's food with melatonin without the consent and knowledge of their parents, the Manchester Police said Thursday.

"All four were charged with 10 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child," police said.

Authorities said that an investigation into the case was initiated in November 2023 after "detectives received a report alleging unsafe practices going on in an in-home daycare" in west Manchester.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and the police have not yet detailed the course of action.

What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a "hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness," according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), that helps with sleep.

"Melatonin supplements may help with certain conditions, such as jet lag, delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, some sleep disorders in children, and anxiety before and after surgery," the NCCIH says.

While short-term use of melatonin supplements is considered to be safe for most people, the NCCIH recommends parents to consult a health care provider before administering it to their children as "use of over-the-counter melatonin might place children and teenagers at risk for accidental or intentional overdose." However, information on the long-term effects of melatonin use in children is limited and parents are advised to exercise caution.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.