Children and Caffeine, what do we know?

Mom and Dads- have you ever wondered about caffeine and your children? Sure, we need our cup(s) of Cobblestone freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning, but we're not exactly sharing the pot with junior. There's a general sense that kids under a certain age don't need the extra energy (in fact, we adults are trying to figure out how to bottle it up for ourselves!). And something that occurs around adolescence makes us as parents feel better about sharing our java (perhaps it's the teenager angst or tendency to sleep to noon?). But how much do we know about caffeine and children? And, how much caffeine are our children getting in other things they drink and eat?

I feel obligated as a pharmacist to start from the known medical facts… which are very sparse when it comes to children and caffeine. There just haven't been scientific studies conducted with children (would you sign your kid up for that?). Most of the world's wisdom on this issue is conventional- learned from experience and exposure. The sum of this wisdom supports that caffeine in moderate dosages does not impair growth, or lead to other health problems in children. Caffeine will, however, counteract the efforts of the bedtime story and the night-night routine if given too close to bedtime. (And that applies to Daddy, too.)

In many cultures, including our own, young children often are exposed to caffeine in a variety of forms other than coffee. In the US, carbonated drinks and chocolate (see chart below) account for most of the exposure. And while we may not think twice about the two sodas our kids drink in a day (caffeine, 74mg), they could just as easily be drinking a mocha latte with a dollop of whipped cream (caffeine, 80mg). And if you are following your mother's advice on clear sodas having little or no caffeine, remember that Mountain Dew (caffeine, 55mg) blows that rule… and even orange drinks like Sunkist contain a significant kick (caffeine, 40mg). Just to be fair, Sprite, 7-up, and Minute Maid Orange drink are true to Mamma's rule (caffeine, 0mg). Thanks, Mom.

Chocolate is another source of energy for small children, but most of that energy is probably from the sugar. Milk chocolate is the most commonly consumed chocolate by kids (especially this time of year in the form of Easter Bunnies), and has only 3-6mg caffeine per ounce. Bittersweet chocolate is a different story, topping out at 25mg caffeine per ounce. Your kids will happy to know that the Hershey's bar is better for them than the can of soda, figuratively speaking, from a caffeine point-of-view. And while I am not planning to inform my children of this fact, and I am going to keep it in the back of my mind for those long car rides and all those 4-year old birthday parties we attend. ("Here honey, have a piece of chocolate and a diet Sprite!")

So, when our 2-year old climbs into my lap and wants to take a sip out of my coffee cup, I let her do it. It's mostly milk and cream anyways (sorry Dave). She's got a lot of her father in her, and I expect she'll be asking for her own cup as soon as she can actually say the word 'coffee'. It's like everything else we do as parents- moderation is the key. While we might be brewing decaf coffee for her in the next year, it's still better than handing her a can of soda. And until she learns the secret about milk chocolate, we'll be just fine.

Mrs. Dave, Wife of the Roaster

Brewed coffee 40-180 mg (avg 100mg)
Espresso 80 mg
Instant coffee 30-120mg
Decaffeinated brewed coffee 3-5mg
Tea (including green tea) 40mg
Coca Cola/Pepsi (12oz) 34-37mg
Sunkist 40mg
Mountain Dew (12oz) 55mg
Red Bull (12oz) 80mg
Chocolate, bittersweet (1oz) 25 mg
Chocolate, milk (1oz) 3-6mg
Slim Fast, chocolate 40mg
"stay awake" pills 100-200mg
Headache formulations 30-65mg
Minute Maid, Sprite, 7-up 0mg!

Article by Jami E., PharmD and Co-Owner, Cobblestone Coffee Roastery, LLC.



(c) Copyright 2007 Cobblestone Coffee Roastery, LLC. Reprint by permission only.