Is it ok to give your baby or child small amounts of caffeine?

[nappyaddict]

Decaff tea, coffee, hot choc and cocoa all has about 2-5mg per cup. That's OK right?

[nappyaddict]

source

[0liverb0liverbuttface]

I don't and wouldn't - certainly not coffee and tea which when decaf is full of chemicals

[0liverb0liverbuttface]

But that doesn't mean you can't!

[IslaValargeone]

Well I wouldn't. Caffeine sends me quite dippy, I wouldn't give it to a baby/small child.
I can't see the need?

[SpottyTeacakes]

Hot choc has caffeine in it?! I didn't know that

[MegMogAndOwl]

I seem to remember hearing that you shouldn't give tea to young children as the caffeine affects how much iron they absorb? Can't remember where I got that info from though :)

[cookielove]

You could mix heated up milk with nesquik, for a caffine free hot chocolate

[Lolaismyfavouriteandmybest]

Chocolate has low levels of caffeine (and other stimulants like thiobromine in it) there aren't many small children who have never had a chocolate button! But personallyI would not give a baby or toddler tea or coffe (even decaf) don't know why, it just seems wrong. But I also wouldn't give them fizzy drinks and am very at the number of kids I see with coca cola/red bull!

[Maat]

As most parents seem to struggle getting their baby/toddler to sleep - it would seem a bit crazy to give them a stimulant.

[SpottyTeacakes]

Oh that seems obvious now! Dd is 2 and sometimes has hot chocolate (very weak mainly milk). I'm one of those who would never give her tea or coffee or fizzy but she gets squash when she hasn't drink enough water pickle!

[cheesesarnie]

why would you want too?

[dikkertjedap]

I used to give only chamomile tea (soothing for sore throats), now when they are older I regularly give weak tea with lots of milk.

[nappyaddict]

Nesquick would probably have the same amount of caffeine as hot cocoa plus a load of sugar and other stuff, no?

Is 2-5mg really going to affect them? There's 10mg of caffeine in 1 oz of chocolate. 1 oz is about 28g IIRC so for a 15g Freddo that most people wouldn't blink at giving their child, there's just over 5mg of caffeine.

[BobblyOrangeGoldGussets]

My four year old demands a coffee every morning, because I drink it. I make him a weak milk one and he drinks a mouth full. Meh.

'Tis a good job I don't smoke anymore

[nappyaddict]

Also aren't the chemicals used in the decaffination process either water and carbon or ethyl acetate which is found in fruit? They don't sound like unsafe chemicals to me?