Breastfeeding women may experience disrupted sleep schedules and be tempted to turn to popular energy drinks to reduce fatigue and enhance alertness, prompting the question: What are the maternal and child health implications for breastfeeding mothers consuming energy drinks?

1. Are Energy Drinks Safe During Breastfeeding?
Are Energy Drinks safe during
Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding women may experience disrupted sleep schedules and be
tempted to turn to popular energy drinks to reduce fatigue and enhance
alertness, prompting the question: What are the maternal and child health
implications for breastfeeding mothers consuming energy drinks?
The high caffeine content in these drinks can be a concern for breastfed
infants.

2. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and the most commonly
ingested substance in the world. It is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy
drinks, candy, bottled water, pharmaceuticals, and even food items. Though
generally recognized as safe, caffeine consumption beyond moderate levels-
about two cups per day-can pose safety concerns for infants. The relative
infant dose for caffeine is 6% and anything less than 10% of the maternal
dose is probably safe. The time interval from the administration of caffeine
until it reaches the highest level in the mother’s plasma for caffeine is 60 to
120 minutes.
Ingredients Present In Energy Drinks:
1. Caffeine
The question on the safety of energy drinks majorly arises due to the
presence of caffeine in it. One ingredient that is common in all the energy
drinks like Red Bull, Monster drinks, and others is caffeine. In fact, most
energy drinks have more than double the caffeine content present in Coke!
Some popular brands also contain additives such as Guarana, which has four
times the amount of caffeine than coffee beans. Various energy drinks have
repeatedly been pulled off the market as they have high caffeine and sugar
contents. Health experts strongly feel that energy drinks that uniquely claim
to boost your alertness and physical performance should come with a special
caffeine content label.
Moderate consumption of caffeine is considered safe for most breastfeeding
mothers and nursing infants. But in infants, who are very sensitive to
caffeine, it could cause fussiness, irritability, and inability to settle.
Even though caffeine is used to treat neonatal apnea in preterm infants, they
are closely monitored for adverse effects.

3. 2. Other Ingredients
Other ingredients can also pose problems when you take energy drinks when
breastfeeding.
For instance, a herb named ginseng is believed to enhance endurance and
interfere with the normal estrogen activity. According to Drugs.com, ginseng
is not recommended for breastfeeding moms due to lack of evidence on its
safety. Monster energy drink while breastfeeding is not advised as it has high
contents of ginseng.
There are no regulations on another ingredient taurine, an amino acid that
may be present in the energy drinks. A high taurine amount needs to be
avoided while breastfeeding. The popular energy drink Red Bull has a high
amount of taurine.
There is no regulation on a few others too. Certain popular energy drinks,
such as the 5-hour energy drink, have a high amount of vitamin B6. Taking
more than 50 milligrams B6 each day is not recommended.
As a matter of fact, the information related to many ingredients included in
most energy drinks is just not revealed, making them unsafe to have during
breastfeeding!
Age Makes a Difference
The effects of caffeine are influenced by the age of your nursing infant. Very
young babies cannot metabolize caffeine the way older children and adults
do. For example, it takes four days for caffeine intake to be reduced by half
in a baby less than 1-month-old, and then another four days for it to be
reduced by half again. This means that if you have large doses of caffeine
every day, a baby less than a month old will accumulate that caffeine in her
body and will be more susceptible to the potentially harmful effects. When

4. your baby is 6 months old, however, caffeine in their system will be reduced
by half in as little as a couple of hours.
Alternatives for Energy drinks
Talk to your doctor about alternate ways to boost your energy. A cup of plain
coffee or tea doesn’t contain any herbal ingredients, but you’ll still get a
small amount of caffeine for energy. Plain coffee and tea also don’t contain
added sugar, found in most Monster energy drinks; that extra sugar isn’t
good for you whether you’re breastfeeding or not. Instead of having energy
drinks like a red bull while breastfeeding, try healthy and natural juices and
soups. They help in keeping your energy quotient high, prevent dehydration,
and boost your immunity.
Things to remember
* Energy beverages (i.e., drinks and shots) are not recommended for
children, pregnant, or nursing women and persons sensitive to caffeine.
* Severe fatigue and sleep problems are most prevalent during the weeks
following childbirth; however, these problems are sometimes overlooked.
* Encourage breastfeeding women to read product labels for ingredient
content, and serving size; explain adverse side effects.

5. * Discourage consumption of energy drinks when taking vitamins, to avoid
potential vitamin toxicity; discourage use in combination with alcohol or
other medications.
* Lactating women should limit caffeine consumption to <300 mg/day.
* A typical energy beverage contains 70-200 mg of caffeine per serving;
however, some products contain more than one serving.
* Caffeine is being increasingly added to a variety of foods and beverages,
making it challenging to determine actual caffeine exposure.
* Lactating women should be cautioned that there is limited evidence to
support the use of herbal products and dietary supplements during
breastfeeding.
Seek your doctor’s advice if you are keen on including any energy drink in
your breastfeeding diet. If your doctor approves it, limit the intake to 16-
ounce a day.
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