Boston loves its coffee and it’s no secret that Third Wave Coffee drinkers often tend to be a bit on the younger side, but the age of some of Boston’s best coffee drinkers may shock you.
According to recent findings by Boston Medical Center, approximately 15% of kids around 2 years old living in Boston drink as much as 4 oz. of coffee per day.
Bostons best coffee guidelines
While guidelines have yet to be provided in the U.S. regarding coffee consumption in children and teens there have been past studies that suggest a link between coffee and sleep disturbances, type 1 diabetes, obesity and substance abuse.
The direct of the Breastfeeding Center and associate professional of pediatrics at Boston Medical Center and principal investigator Anne Merewood, PhD, MPH, stated, "Our results show that many infants and toddlers in Boston - and perhaps in the US - are being given coffee and that this could be associated with cultural practices.”
Findings associated with this study were reached after a team of researchers reviewed data from a study on infant diet and weight gain that involved 315 infant-mother pairs. The researchers analyzed breast milk, water, formula and juice consumption, but were surprised to find many mothers reported they gave their babies coffee as well. Additionally, it was discovered that babies of Hispanic mothers were more likely to drink coffee than those of other ethnicities. Furthermore, female toddler and infants were found to be more likely to consume beverages that contained caffeine than boys. These findings regarding coffee consumption are not inconsistent with past studies that analyzed coffee consumption in children raised in Hispanic cultures.
As a Boston coffee drinker, when did you have your first sip of coffee?