Most people associate caffeine with coffee and tea only hence they assume that children can't possibly have any problems with it. This is a wrong assumption and it's an ignorant point of view. There are in fact many other sources of caffeine that children do end up consuming and the effects are visible.
The major sources of caffeine in children are from carbonated colas, iced teas, chocolate drinks and too much chocolate is also advised against. While some of these things had in moderation are okay, one must exercise portion control.
Some of the symptoms of an overdose of caffeine in children are as follows:
- Restlessness - Children can get restless and irritable, which can cause some out of control behavior. Due to the stimulatory effects, a child can become hyper; then it becomes hard to control children when they are hyper stimulated.
- Long lasting effect - Children tend to break down caffeine slower than adults and the after effects last longer, which is why doctors discourage caffeine consumption in children.
- Disturbed sleep - Most children normally tend to sleep well, caffeine stimulation can cause a child to have disturbed sleep or nightmares.
- Acid content - Teas and coffees have a high acid content which ultimately results in stomach upsets. A regular intake of these caffeine products could lead to a lifetime of stomach and health problems.
- Irregular heart rate - Tea and coffee are generally considered to be stimulants hence excess consumption may lead to irregular and rapid heart rate both is children as well as adults.
- Loss of water in body - Increased urination can occur when children consume too many caffeine drinks. There is loss of body fluids, which in turn will lead to low blood pressure and an imbalance in the body's acid-base levels. This could also lead to Urinary tract infections.
- Headaches - A very basic thing like headaches can also become a routine problem if the consumption is out of control.
- Fatigue - Any product which is a stimulant, ultimately results in nervous system exhaustion.
Lastly but not the least it would be best to limit a child's caffeine intake to about 200mg per day or roughly about 2 cups. A healthier choice for would be to introduce children to drinks like milkshakes, fruit juices and even vegetable juices. These not only benefit the child's health, they are also tasty!
