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It’s not OK to let kids drink coffee – so why do we do it?

Written by Communications and Marketing

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Because children are usually smaller in body size, it takes less caffeine to impair their functioning. An insignificant amount for an adult could be overwhelming for a small child. Too much caffeine can cause increase heart rate and blood pressure, contribute to acid reflux, and cause anxiety and sleep disturbances in children. In very high doses, caffeine can be dangerous. With all this bad news, why are parents letting kids drink coffee? It starts when small children begin to ask for caffeinated drinks like coffee “because they see the parents and older siblings drinking it – it’s a ‘grown-up’ thing to drink,” said Corkins, division chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, via email.

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