PARENTING
Written by Stacey Hatton
sweetened caffeinated drinks also damages your child’s teeth. The high amount of sugar in soda is shocking and incredibly acidic, which erodes tooth enamel. This can lead to dental cavities. • Caffeine acts as a diuretic by eliminating excess water from the body via the kidneys. If too much caffeine is consumed, dehydration can occur. • Normally, caffeine passes from the body within a couple of hours. But if a child is sensitive to it, she could feel the stimulant up to six hours.
SIGNS OF WITHDRAWAL
GIVING CHILDREN CAFFEINE? ARE YOU CRAZY?! Caffeine, which, unfortunately, is my middle name and comprises 58% of my bodily fluid, may not be the healthiest choice for adults. But you can bet your bottom dollar it certainly is not for your child! The bad news is that it lurks everywhere — not just in pickme-up beverages. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant often found in coffee, soda, chocolate, cold medicines, diet pills, and some pain relievers.
CAFFEINE IS A DRUG The Nemours Foundation reports caffeine may be fine for adults, but can have ill health effects on kids, especially younger children. Some of these symptoms may be a jumpy or twitchy feeling, anxiousness, or an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Nausea, headaches, depression, and difficulty sleeping or concentrating in school also can be related to children
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consuming caffeine. “The United States hasn’t developed guidelines for caffeine intake and kids, but Canadian guidelines recommend preschoolers get no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day,” according to the Nemours Foundation. “That’s equivalent to the average amount of caffeine found in a 12-ounce can of soda or four 1.5-ounce milk-chocolate bars.” Caffeine is labeled a stimulant, or drug, since it stimulates the central nervous system. The adrenaline rush for an adult is similar to what children experience. The problem is that it takes quite a bit less caffeine for a child to feel these effects than adults.
FACTS TO KNOW
• Children are 60% more likely to be obese if they drink one or more 12-ounce sweetened soft drinks every day. • Children who drink caffeinated beverages do not get enough calcium from milk, which is necessary for healthy teeth and bones. (Sodas can even decrease bone mass density by interfering with the ability to absorb calcium correctly, eventually leading to osteoporosis.) • Caffeine may lead to fibrocystic breasts, or worsen lumpy and painful breasts. • Replacing water and milk with
Stopping caffeine abruptly, even in children or young adults, can cause the body to experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. It is important to decrease the amount slowly so your child’s body doesn’t begin to “miss the drug” and have feelings of tiredness, irritability, severe headaches, nausea, and/or vomiting.
CAFFEINE ALTERNATIVES “Caffeine may have a negative effect on a child’s nutrition if caffeinated drinks replace healthy drinks such as milk,” reports the National Institute of Health. “A child who consumes caffeine also may eat less, because caffeine reduces the appetite.” Offering water, low-fat milk, and small quantities of 100% fruit juice are better substitutes for sugary, caffeinated drinks. Older children can have an occasional soda, but if sugary drinks were the only beverages available when they were younger, they probably will reach for it as a teen. Finally, just because chocolate has trace amounts of caffeine in it, it’s OK to indulge in a hot-fudge sundae every once in a while. Moderation is always key for everything you put in your body. Just don’t pour yourself a cup of Joe and then fill up your kids’ sippy cups to give them their morning preschool boost. Kids have enough battles to fight throughout their lives — please don’t get them started early on the caffeine rollercoaster!