My little kid is ultra sensitive to caffiene

United States
August 17, 2007 12:58am CST
Lots of moms let their little kids have soft drinks and such, but I've noticed that mine doesn't do too well with them. The first time my little girl got ahold of some Pepsi, within minutes she was practically flying around our house pulling things off of shelves and tables. She became very hyperactive and agitated. And, it got worse, later that night she missed her bedtime entirely and stayed up four additional hours. And, no matter how many times we put her back in bed she would always get back up. She was completely unreasonable. Now we don't let her have any caffiene products at all. Not even just a little, because even a sip makes her stay up way past her bedtime. I was wondering if other moms have this same issue with their little kids. Do you find that your little kid has difficulty with caffiene as well? I suppose all kids are different and maybe I'm lucky that we found this out really early, so that she doesn't get addicted to soft drinks and such. Would love to hear some feedback on this issue from other moms. Thanks!
7 responses
theprogamer
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Usually you keep children away from caffeine, especially younger children. They are already balls of energy, giving them caffeine just makes it worse. I'm not saying "no caffeine till you are 18", I'm saying keep the caffeine and sugar to low amounts when they are younger children. If your kid still goes "bouncy" after caffeine once the teen years hit, then maybe the child really is sensitive to caffeine. In that case, make sure she doesn't have too much of it. Being caffeine sensitive can lead to over excitability and heart problems.
1 person likes this
beautyqueen26
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
18 Aug 07
Wow! That is a scary thought. I guess I hadn't thought of it going that far. Thanks. I will keep my eyes open and stay aware. I guess she is lucky not to get too many soft drinks, caffienated or not, cause they cause lots of weight gain in children.
maddysmommy
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
17 Aug 07
I allow my son to drink sprite but rarely coke. Gout runs in my husbands family (and I hear its herediatry too) so caffeine is the last thing I want him drinking to trigger anything. Now and then he gets a taste of caffeine free coke or even pepsi but that is not often. I think my son is on a high when he eats too much chocolate LOL that I have cut down a lot.
1 person likes this
beautyqueen26
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
18 Aug 07
Oh, I didn't know that about gout! Well, I'm glad that we cut her caffiene off early. She is super sensitive to caffiene. And, chocolate too. It makes her very hyper. She loves that too!
sanell
@sanell (2112)
• United States
17 Aug 07
my girls do okay with the softdrinks but I do not really let them drink them at all. Mostly because they are just too young to be having any sort of caffeinated drink. I know that many give their kids pop, but if I do give them pop it is decaffeinated.
Foxxee
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
18 Aug 07
Numerous studies have confirmed that sugar does not cause hyperactivity. I'm not sure about caffiene though. I don't let my kids have any kind of soda. I do know that I have always heard doctors say that the whole thing about kids getting hyper from sugar was a myth. Sometimes my daughter will be restless when she has some candy, but I don't think the candy is the cause for it. Or that is what studies have stated. I would just maybe stick with soda's that are caffiene free. Until you can find out what causes her to be this way. I also heard that its best not to let your child drink anything like 3 hrs before bedtime. Good luck!
LAWise520
@LAWise520 (275)
• United States
18 Aug 07
caffeine is a major problem with children's brains. Think about it...for some people, a glass of the same soda (at say, 200 pounds to make is a nice even number) disperses much more than a child at 50 pounds. The concentration in her brain is a lot higher than it would be in mine. She gets FOUR TIMES the amount of caffeine than we do in the same amount. Say there is 100 mg (an average amount for soda) in a 8 oz glass of pepsi, that's 2 mg per pound of child compared to about .5 mg per pound in an adult. Which means that there is four times as much caffeine in the brain as well. See where the problem occurs? And the higher concentration then leaves the body more slowly then too.
pinnibabu
@pinnibabu (135)
•
17 Aug 07
I am pretty surprised to read what you have mentioned. Good you found this early. Prevention is better than cure. You can prevent your kid from having caffience products. In my case, I am allergic to shrimps and crab. The moment I have them my mouth swells. So I totally avoid them now.
carlaabt
@carlaabt (3504)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Caffeine doesn't affect my son at all. Not that he gets very much at once, or very often. But occasionally he will have a drink of my husband's tea or a small amount of a soda that my husband has. Elliott will still be able to go to sleep fifteen minutes later if it's that close to bedtime, or if we are out somewhere, and he is ready to sleep in the car. I'm not really surprised that caffeine doesn't affect him, though. When I was younger, I could drink a 20 oz of Mountain Dew and still go to sleep within an hour. I probably still could, I just don't drink that much soda in one day anymore. :)