Using melatonin to help treat childhood pneumonia
Official title: The Role of Melatonin as an Adjuvant Therapy in Childhood Pneumonia
Run by College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan · NCT06949904 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing if adding melatonin to the usual antibiotic treatment can help children with pneumonia leave the hospital sooner.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase1; Phase2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 1 Month to 12 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Islamabad, Islamabad) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2025 |
| Study ends | January 2026 |
| Registry record updated | April 29, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06949904 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates for this study are children aged 1 month to 12 years diagnosed with pneumonia or severe pneumonia.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with recent hospitalization, known TB exposure, or significant co-morbid diseases may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin as an adjuvant therapy in children diagnosed with pneumonia. It compares the length of hospital stay between two groups: one receiving standard antibiotic treatment alone and the other receiving standard treatment plus melatonin for 14 days. The hypothesis is that the addition of melatonin will lead to a shorter hospital stay for the children. The study will measure the duration of hospitalization from admission to discharge based on specific clinical improvement criteria.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could significantly reduce the length of hospital stays for children with pneumonia, improving overall patient outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: While the use of melatonin in pneumonia treatment is not widely tested, similar studies exploring its benefits in other conditions have shown promising results.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 1 month to 12 years * Both genders * Patient diagnosed as having pneumonia or severe pneumonia according to WHO definition Exclusion Criteria: * Hospitalized within 14 days prior to the study * Known TB exposure * Active varicella or herpes simplex infection * Allergy to the study medication * Currently taking melatonin * Any non pneumonia acute medical illness which requires antibiotic treatment as per local standard of care * Galactose intolerance, the lapp-lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption * Significant co-morbid disease: lung, cardiac, immune, liver, endocrine, neurological or psychiatric
Where it's running
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Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences
Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan Recruiting
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Vitamin C to shorten hospital stay for children with severe pneumonia
This trial will test whether giving vitamin C along with usual treatment helps children under five with severe pneumonia get better faster and leave the hospital sooner.
-
Lung ultrasound to guide antibiotic decisions in children with pneumonia
This will see if using lung ultrasound for children aged 3–10 with suspected pneumonia leads to fewer antibiotic prescriptions than usual care.
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Improving treatment of pneumonia in children using lung ultrasound
This study is testing if using lung ultrasound can help doctors treat pneumonia in kids better and reduce the need for unnecessary antibiotics.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.