Trouble sleeping
These effects usually aren’t long last-
ing, but in some cases, kids may need to be
weaned from caffeine to avoid withdrawal
symptoms.
Consuming caffeine does not cause
anxiety disorders or ADHD, says Everly.
But if you already have one of those condi-
tions, caffeine augments the symptoms of
jitteriness and anxiousness.
Many of these caffeinated drinks are
unhealthy for other reasons too, says Don-
nelly, because they have higher sugar con-
tent and lack essential nutrients, so it’s best
to avoid them altogether.
— by Suzanne Koup-Larsen
Is Caffeine Bad for Kids?
How much is in the soda, coffee and
energy drinks that teens and kids drink?
C
affeinated beverages are a
cheap and easy way for teens
to get through busy days
where they get up too early and go to bed
too late.
While teenagers need eight and a half
to nine hours of sleep a night, some are
getting as little as five, says Dr. Michelle
Karten, pediatrician at Nemours duPont
Pediatrics in Villanova, PA. So it may not
be surprising that a 2014 study found that
73 percent of children (ages 2-22) drink
caffeine on any given day. With their busy
schedules, students today get worn down
and look for ways to keep going, says
Jared Scherz, PhD, a clinical psychologist
in Mt Laurel, NJ, and “caffeine is an avail-
able and legal form of stimulation.”
High Caffeine Levels
in Some Drinks
Soda is a well-known source of caf-
feine, but as soda consumption among
children has declined, it has been replaced
by coffee and energy drinks, according to
the 2014 study, Trends in Caffeine Intake
Among US Children and Adolescents.
Energy drinks, such as Red Bull,
Monster and 5-Hour Energy, can have be-
tween 200 and 80mg of caffeine per con-
tainer. Coffee-shop coffees, however, can
have even more. While a 12oz. cup of cof-
fee made at home might have 60 to 80mg,
a 20oz. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts cof-
28 WNY Family July 2019
fee can have 400 or more milligrams of
caffeine and as much as 300mg in a 16oz.
version, according to the Center for Sci-
ence in the Public Interest.
Caffeine’s presence in other products
might be harder to spot since the FDA
doesn’t require caffeine content on nutri-
tion labels, says Emma Donnelly, pediatric
registered dietitian at Family Food in Bala
Cynwyd, PA. A coffee-flavored yogurt or
ice cream can have as much as 70mg of
caffeine per serving, says Donnelly.
Caffeine Is A Drug
Caffeine is a stimulant that creates
a false sense of alertness even when the
body is still sleep deprived or not well
rested, says Scherz. “It’s not physiologi-
cally addictive,” says Dr. Eileen Everly, a
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia pedia-
trician at Karabots Pediatric Care Center
in West Philadelphia, but it may create
dependence. While it’s not addictive in
the same way as a controlled substance,
you can become dependent on the effects
of caffeine in a behavioral way, explains
Everly.
“Caffeine affects the neurological
system and cardiovascular systems in de-
veloping children,” says Donnelly.
Those effects include:
Increased heartbeat
Increased blood pressure
Feelings of anxiousness
When is caffeine
okay for kids?
“A smaller amount of caffeine has a
much bigger effect on a small body than it
does on anyone after puberty,” says Everly.
“Kids are much more sensitive to the effects
because they’re getting an adult dose.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) says kids younger than 12 shouldn’t
have any caffeine, and kids over 12 should
have no more than 100mg per day, Don-
nelly advises. The AAP says that energy
drinks have no place in the diets of chil-
dren or adolescents.
Energy Drinks, Alcohol
A Risky Mix
It has become popular among young
adults to mix Red Bull energy drinks with
liquor such as vodka. While it combines
a depressant and a stimulant, much like
rum and Coke, energy drinks have a far
higher concentration of caffeine in a small
amount of liquid. “It’s problematic in a
number of ways,” says Scherz. “In a way it
short circuits the brain,” he says, because
the brain is getting confusing messages.
“It’s like alcohol on steroids,” agrees
Everly. This drink combo masks the ill ef-
fects of the alcohol and delays the feeling
of drunkenness, she says. “You don’t re-
alize you’re as drunk as you are,” which
makes it more likely that you will drink
too much.
Suzanne Koup-Larsen is a freelance writer
based in suburban Philadelphia. She has
been published in FamilyFun, National
Geographic Traveler, the Philadelphia
Inquirer, as well as New York Parenting,
Pittsburgh Parent, Sacramento Parent,
and NJ Family.