NEVER BEFORE
24 months
Not before 24 months. Children younger than 24 months should avoid caffeinated drinks — there is no established safe limit of caffeine for young children.
CDCAAP
| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | No — not yet | — |
| 6 months | No — not yet | — |
| 9 months | No — not yet | — |
| 12 months | No — not yet | — |
| 18 months | No — not yet | — |
| 2 years | Yes | — |
Caffeinated drinks are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Caffeinated drinks are not one of the common allergens. Introduce it on its own anyway and wait 3 to 5 days before the next new food, so if your baby does react to something you know what it was.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
The AAP adds that caffeine in young children increases the risk of poor sleep, irritability, nervousness, headaches and difficulty concentrating.
If you are working through the Hard rules group, the same serving and allergen questions come up for honey, unpasteurized (raw-milk) cheese and salt and salty food. Each one has its own introduction age and choking guidance — they are not interchangeable.
Not before 24 months. Children younger than 24 months should avoid caffeinated drinks — there is no established safe limit of caffeine for young children. The AAP adds that caffeine in young children increases the risk of poor sleep, irritability, nervousness, headaches and difficulty concentrating.
There is no infant serving form for this one — see the answer above.
Caffeinated drinks are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Offer one single-ingredient new food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next one, so a reaction is easy to trace. The emergency signs are at the top of this page.