Do you know how much caffeine your kids are consuming? Although you may not give your children coffee to drink, your kids are probably taking in more caffeine than you know. If your child drinks soft drinks, eats chocolate, or takes certain over-the-counter medications, he's taking in enough caffeine to cause changes in his physical and mental well being. Unfortunately, caffeine and kids don't always mix. Caffeine is considered a drug and it doesn't take high levels of it to produce undesirable symptoms in children.
What are some of the symptoms caffeine can induce in a child? Physical symptoms include a rapid heart rate and elevation in blood pressure as well as anxiety and indigestion. Just as disturbing are the mental changes induced by caffeine which may include problems concentrating on school work, nervousness, insomnia, and even aggression. It's clear that caffeine and kids can be a problem both from a physical and a mental health standpoint.
Where are most kids getting their daily doses of caffeine? Soft drinks seem to be the biggest source of caffeine for the younger set. It might surprise you to learn that the caffeine content of some soft drinks can be as high as 70 mg, similar to that found in a glass of black tea. Mountain Dew has one of the higher caffeine contents at around 55 mg per serving. There are now caffeinated soft drinks designed as energy drinks that have added additional caffeine causing some of these drinks to approach the same caffeine content as a cup of coffee. One of the more popular ones is Jolt which has over 70 mg. of caffeine per serving.
Depending upon a child's size and sensitivity to caffeine, a few soft drinks a day may be enough to cause restlessness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and elevations in heart rate and blood pressure. If your child's school work is suffering or if he has trouble sleeping at night and appears restless and anxious, it may be time to re-evaluate his caffeine intake. Behavior and personality problems can sometimes magically resolve themselves once caffeine is removed from a child's diet.
If your child is consuming a number of soft drinks, the first step is to limit soft drinks to no more than one can every few days. Try substituting soft drinks with flavored Seltzer water or 100% fruit juice. If your child is resistant to this, offer him Sprite instead which is caffeine free until you can wean him off of soft drinks entirely. If your child has been consuming large amounts of caffeine, it's best to cut back gradually in order to prevent caffeine withdrawal which can be associated with headaches, fatigue, and depression. Chocolate is much lower in caffeine than are coffee, tea, and soft drinks but even that shouldn't be eaten in abundance due to the high sugar content which can also cause changes in behavior.
By gradually decreasing your child's caffeine intake through soft drinks and other caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea, you may find that he sleeps better at night, experiences less anxiety, and performs better in school. There's no doubt that caffeine and kids can be a bad combination. Is it time to reassess your child's caffeine intake?
