This is a post I have been mulling over for a few months ago. Why? Because I have been seeing/hearing of more and more parents letting children drink coffee with them and even ordering them coffee drinks at their favorite coffee spots. I even had one woman tell me that she was told that coffee was good for children. My first thought was: "Has something changed that I don't know about?". So this is where I started last winter. I asked 4 different pediatricians that I know proffessionally if something had changed and was it ok or even recommended now for children to drink coffee or have caffeine. I received a plain and simple answer from all 4 "no". I then asked if there were any situations medically speaking that they would recommend to a parent that they give their child coffee or caffeine and again received the same answer.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my morning coffee. However, that does not mean my children ever get it even watered down with milk. If I go out for a coffee, they may share a juice and sometimes as a treat they get a steamer (steamed milk with a syrup flavoring) or a hot chocolate. My oldest will be 12 in October. Even on the rare occasion that they get soda as a treat, it is uncaffeinated - Root Beer, Sprite, Orange Soda......
I do want to debunk one myth that there is no evidence to support - coffee does not stunt a child's growth. However, there are many other reasons as to why it is bad for kids to drink coffee. In fact, the AAP (American Academy Of Pediatrics) makes it clear that they do not support any amount of caffeine as being safe for children's consumption on a daily basis. The FDA is currently investigating products that contain caffeine with a focus on products aimed at children and adolescents.
Did you know that in healthcare and hospitals that caffeine is used as a drug? In both kids and adults, too much caffeine can cause jitteriness and nervousness, upset stomach, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. In young children it does not take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects. Their bodies and brains are developing and vulnerable.
I have talked to many of our local Emergency Room staff that tell me it is amazing the number of children and teens they see and the results of their EKG's just from caffeine consumption.
So let's start out with insomnia. Children ages 5-12 need at least 11 hours per day and teens need 9-10. Caffeine in the body can last up to 8 hours.
Next, how about cavities? Coffee is acidic and acidic drinks weaken teeth by ruining tooth enamel.
What about bone loss? Coffee is a diuretic that increases urination which causes a loss of calcium and thus can lead to bone loss. For every 100mg of caffeine ingested in a child, 6mg of calcium is lost. Calcium is necessary for bone growth and development.
Then there is hyperactivity, restlessness and an inablility to concentrate that can be caused. This can affect your child's whole school day where they are required to pay attention to focus, pay attention and sit still. Could this lead to over diagnosing of ADD? Just some food for thought.
Like I said towards towards the beginning of this post, I spoke to 4 local pediatricians, Emergency Room staff, and have done extensive reading before writing this post and felt that this was a time when this information should be shared.
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