Caffeine can Delay Brain Development in Children

Pubescent children drinking coffee or consuming products rich in caffeine might suffer from poor sleep and delayed brain development. A new study on pubescent rats showed that growth of young brain slows down in the presence of caffeine.

Researchers found that caffeine intake of pubescent rats' adversely affected deep sleep and brain development. The amount of caffeine given to the rats was roughly equivalent to three to four cups of coffee per day.

Caffeine might have a similar effect on young human brains as the brain begins to mature rapidly during early life. "The brain of children is extremely plastic due to the many connections," said Reto Huber of the University Children's Hospital Zurich.  "This optimisation presumably occurs during deep sleep. Key synapses extend, others are reduced; this makes the network more efficient and the brain more powerful," Huber added.

Curiosity in rats increases with increase in age. However, caffeine-fed rats were more cautious and timid when compared to rats of the same age that hadn't been given any caffeine.

As pointed out earlier, coffee isn't just the only source of caffeine. Other food products such as chocolates and ice-cream along with energy drinks have high levels of caffeine. Kids might already be getting more than safe levels of caffeine even if they don't drink coffee.

The present study was conducted on rats and so researchers believe that only further research done in clinical setting might help in the understanding caffeine's effect on humans.

"There is still need for research in this area," Huber said in a news release.                         

The study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and is published in PLOS ONE.