Children Less Than 2 Years Old Can't Eat Chocolate And Caffeinated Drinks, Here's Why

Illustration of why children aged less than 2 years should not eat chocolate (Freepic/master1305)

YOGYAKARTA Chocolate products in the market that can be eaten directly contain a lot of sugar besides caffeine. For children aged less than 2 years, it is not recommended to eat chocolate and food or caffeinated drinks. For adults, chocolate can be a fun snack. Coffee, often taken in the morning or afternoon after lunch. But for children less than 2 years of age, it is too risky to be given chocolate or other caffeinated drinks.

Initially scientists believed that the reaction to chocolate was related to other allergens in chocolate. Such as peanuts, tree beans, or milk. However, 2019 research reported by Parents, Wednesday, September 18, found that maybe children and adults are allergic to chocolate and cocoa. However, allergies don't actually prevent parents from introducing allergen foods to children. Like fish, eggs, and peanut butter.

But the fact is, the reason why children less than 2 years of age are not recommended to eat chocolate and caffeinated foods, is due to several factors. First, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend feeding foods that contain caffeine or additional sugar to children under the age of 2. Caffeine and sugar are found in chocolate and chocolate products. Although there is little information about how caffeine affects children's developing brains, there are concerns about caffeine side effects.

The effects of caffeine for adults also appear to affect children's sleep. So it is feared that it can interfere with sleep, affect the health of children's bones, and cause high blood pressure. Even chocolate in chocolate snacks should be avoided as much as possible by children aged less than 2 years.

While the sugar content in chocolate, it is feared to increase the risk of excess body fat, dental damage, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, you should consider how much sugar your child has consumed before adding chocolate to their diet.

The third reason why children are less than 2 years old is not recommended to eat chocolate and other caffeinated foods, is because it creates a risk of strangling. This is because many grilled foods and chocolate bars contain nuts and other hard materials. Therefore, it is dangerous to eat very small children.

Because children less than 2 years old are not recommended to eat attached, pay attention to the food label before giving it to your child. Most importantly, talk about health care providers to get guidance on when to give chocolate to your child. It is also important to control eating sweet foods such as cakes and biscuits.