You might choose to hold off on allowing coffee and other caffeinated beverages until your child is older. You may also consider whether your child has any underlying health issues that would require them to avoid caffeine. One thing you’ll want to consider is the AAP’s policy that children don’t need to consume any caffeine. So, when is a good age to finally allow your child to have coffee? There doesn’t seem to be a hard and fast answer to that question, since when it’s “safe” and when it’s “smart” may be two different ages.Īs a parent, you have to decide what kind of limit to place on your child, based on their health and their specific needs. Be sure to read the labels to make sure you know the score.Īge when it’s OK for your kiddo to have coffee Many sodas, teas, and energy drinks also contain caffeine.Įven some drinks that are advertised as being decaffeinated contain small amounts of caffeine. It’s easy to forget that coffee’s not the only drink that contains caffeine. One more thing to remember: Don’t just trade the coffee for a soda. If your child already owns a play tea set, dust it off, set it out on the table, and just pretend to be drinking coffee or tea. (Just make sure it’s not easily breakable.) Another option: Have a pretend tea party. You could even let your child pick out a new “coffee” mug to drink out of. Think herbal teas without caffeine, juice (without added sugar and even diluted with water if possible), warm water with a squeeze of lemon, or the always-trusty standby: milk. Try offering a substitute beverage without caffeine in a favorite kid-appropriate coffee mug. Luckily, you have a couple of options when it comes to toddlers over the age of 1. When your little one clamors to have coffee because you’re having it, how do you respond? It’s hard to resist a chubby-cheeked toddler who wants to be just like Mom or Dad. Tips for what to do if your toddler wants to be just like Mom or Dad That is, if your total daily caffeine consumption is less than 300 mg of caffeine (2 to 3 cups of coffee), it shouldn’t have an adverse effect on your baby. Essentially, caffeine only stays in your system for a fraction of the time that it might linger in your baby’s.Īs long as you approach your coffee consumption with an eye toward moderation, it should be OK. Research shows that caffeine’s half-life in new babies ranges between 65 and 130 hours due to their immature kidneys and livers, compared to 3 to 7 hours for adults. It’s only a small amount, true, but your baby’s body can’t process the caffeine as quickly and efficiently as your adult body can. You may relish the boost of energy that you get from the caffeine coursing through your body, but a small amount can pass through to your breast milk - and to your baby. But what happens after the baby’s here, and you’re really craving a hot cup of the good stuff? Many doctors advise pregnant people to reduce or even eliminate their caffeine consumption. You might have given up coffee - or at least switched to decaf - while you were pregnant. You may also be wondering if it’s safe to drink coffee while you’re breastfeeding. Is it OK to drink coffee while breastfeeding? But if your healthy toddler snatches your (hopefully not scalding) coffee mug out of your hands and takes a gulp, you’re more likely to wind up with a stain on your clothes than with a health problem. That doesn’t mean you should deliberately give your baby or toddler coffee, of course. It’s possible for a child to consume what’s considered to be a toxic amount of caffeine, but research suggests that it’s much more likely to happen with highly caffeinated energy drinks and medications containing caffeine than with coffee.Ī very small amount of coffee is unlikely to cause any lasting harm to your child. We’re still learning more about how caffeine affects children and what amount is considered safe, and more research is needed. In fact, a healthy adult can probably consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine on a daily basis without any adverse effects.Ĭhildren are not just little adults, though. Many of us can have a cup of coffee without any trouble at all, other than perhaps keeping us awake at night if we drink it in the evening. What if your baby or toddler accidentally has coffee?
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