Calls to Poison Centers on the Rise for Pediatric Exposures to Caffeine Energy Products
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 19, 2025 -- Pediatric exposures to caffeine energy products reported to U.S. poison centers increased from 2011 to 2023, although most exposures had minimal clinical effects, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in the Journal of Medical Toxicology.
Timothy R. Thompson, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues investigated trends of pediatric exposures to caffeine energy products reported to U.S. poison centers. The analysis included data for 32,482 caffeine energy product single-substance exposures during 2011 to 2023 among individuals younger than 20 years old identified from the National Poison Data System.
The researchers found an increase of 17.3 percent in the exposure rate from 2011 to 2023. Most exposures occurred among children younger than 6 years (69.6 percent) and among males (56.7 percent), and most involved liquid formulations (57.5 percent). Most exposures (80.7 percent) were not treated at a health care facility, although 1.6 percent of exposures were medically admitted. Teenagers (13 to 19 years old) were more likely to be medically admitted (odds ratio [OR], 12.74) or have a serious medical outcome (OR, 18.83) compared to children younger than 13 years. Serious medical outcomes (OR, 1.98) and medical admission (OR, 5.23) were more likely with solid energy product formulations versus other types of formulations. The exposure rate among liquid formulation subcategories increased for beverages (46.5 percent) and decreased for shots (−86.1 percent).
"Opportunities exist to reduce the adverse effects of caffeine energy products among the pediatric population," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted February 2025
Read this next
2020 to 2023 Saw Sharp Increase in Nicotine Pouch Ingestions in Children
THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 -- Nicotine pouch ingestions increased 763.1 percent among children from 2020 to 2023, according to a study published online July 14 in...
Synthetic Dyes Present in 19 Percent of U.S. Food Products
THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Synthetic dyes are present in 19 percent of U.S. food products and are more common in the top five categories marketed to children, according to a study...
Prenatal PFAS Exposure Linked to Elevated BP Through Adolescence
MONDAY, June 16, 2025 -- Prenatal exposure to specific perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with offspring blood pressure (BP) through age 18 years...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.