Is it true that caffeine can slow down children's growth?

Anyone who has a habit of drinking a cup of coffee or tea in the morning knows that caffeine is a stimulant. This substance can make children irritable, upset the stomach, make the heart beat faster, increase blood pressure and disrupt sleep, but will not delay the child's development.

According to statistics, American adults aged 18 - 65 years old drink the most coffee of any caffeinated beverage, including energy drinks, tea and soda. For teenagers, coffee is the second most consumed caffeinated beverage, after energy drinks. Therefore, there is much debate about whether caffeinated drinks are good for children and safe for teenagers.
There is no valid scientific evidence that coffee can delay growth in children. This idea may stem from the misconception that coffee causes osteoporosis (a condition that can be linked to height loss). But blaming coffee for reducing height is a mistake for at least two reasons:
Coffee does not cause osteoporosis. Osteoporosis doesn't necessarily make you shorter. Another counter-argument is that most people complete their height growth before they start drinking regular coffee. Girls almost reached their full height by the time they were 15-17 years old, and boys later. You can't shorten bone growth just because of drinking a lot of coffee into adulthood.
Decades ago, studies reported that coffee drinkers may have an increased risk of osteoporosis because:
Caffeine can increase the excretion of calcium from the body. Calcium deficiency can contribute to osteoporosis.

However, the effect of caffeine on calcium excretion is very small. You can compensate for this decrease in calcium absorption by adding 1-2 tablespoons of milk to each 180 ml cup of coffee. Furthermore, the link between coffee consumption and osteoporosis has never been confirmed. One study followed 81 girls ages 12 to 18 for 6 years, and found no difference in bone health between those with the highest daily caffeine intake and those with the lowest.
In fact, when analyzing studies, people who drink a lot of coffee drink less milk and other calcium-containing beverages. So it may be that the diet of coffee addicts increased the risk of osteoporosis, rather than the caffeine.

Caffeine has many undesirable effects, but slowing down children's growth is not one of them. In fact, caffeinated beverages, such as soda, are mostly empty calories. They make children feel full but without nutrition. This deficiency will gradually affect the development of the child. That's good reason to keep caffeine and sugar intake to a minimum. These recommendations cover caffeine from all sources, not just coffee. Caffeine is also found in tea, soda, energy drinks, and chocolate.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting children's daily caffeine intake to a lower level:
45 mg for children 4-6 years old; 62.5 mg for children 7 - 9 years old; 85 mg for children 10 - 12 years old; 2.5 mg/kg body weight/day for adolescents aged 12-18 years. This is equivalent to about 1 cup of coffee per day. Check the nutrition label before giving your child anything with caffeine. You may be surprised to find out in one serving:
Soft drinks can contain 22 - 69 milligrams (mg) of caffeine Energy drinks have 76 - 280 mg of caffeine Iced tea has 27 - 42 mg of caffeine White chocolate has 12 mg caffeine Dark chocolate has 40 mg of caffeine Chocolate flavored milk has 5 mg of caffeine . Just as drinking caffeine will not make your child shorter, avoiding it will not make your child taller. If caffeine consumption is within the recommended limits, coffee is still safe, and even coffee is beneficial.

Your height is largely determined by your genes, although poor diet and malnutrition can cause stunting in children. However, you can help protect your bones with proper nutrition and exercise, especially during your teen years.
Most people reach their maximum bone strength in their late teens to early twenties. Therefore, adolescence is the best time to set the stage for strong bones.

Calcium and vitamin D are two important nutrients for healthy bones. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and supports bone structure and function.
In fact, 99% of your body's calcium supply is stored in your bones and teeth. Calcium is found in many foods, but the most common sources include milk and other dairy products. Few foods are naturally high in vitamin D, but many are fortified, including orange juice, milk, yogurt, and breakfast cereals. Vitamin D can also be produced naturally in the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

When you lift weights, you put tension on your muscles. Muscles adapt to this tension by growing bigger and stronger. Conversely, if you don't stress your muscles, they won't change their inherent strength and size, or even become weaker.
The same is true for bones. Lifting weights puts pressure on your bones, making them stronger and more resistant to fracture. School-age children can safely exercise using free weights, weight machines, elastic bands, or their own body weight (push-ups, planks, etc.) .
In summary, popular drinks containing caffeine do not slow down children's growth. A child's height is largely determined by the parents' height, the quality of their diet, and their overall health during development. If a child follows a balanced nutritional menu and takes measures to protect the bones, the child is likely to reach the maximum height allowed by the genes.
If the child's development is much slower than his age, parents should take the child to a general health examination so that the doctor can find the cause and soon have a timely remedy.
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References: health.harvard.edu, healthline.com, babycenter.com