Q: Hello Dr, thanks for all your advice. God bless you. Please ma’am, can I give my 7 month old baby, cocoa beverages to drink? 

A: The answer is a resounding no…for two reasons. 

First, these beverages often times contain traces of nuts and other ingredients that your child may be allergic to. So, it’s not a great idea to ‘challenge’ these allergies until your baby is at least a year old and even then, watch out for any allergic reactions.

Secondly, these drinks also contain some quantity of caffeine, which is a stimulant. You don’t want to be feeding your baby caffeine at this age…especially given that the side effects are more likely to be extremely pronounced in a baby. For a reminder class on the effects of caffeine, please click on the link below.

chatwithdrketch.com/2014/01/17/daily-health-tips-coffee-energy-drinks-et-al/

Have a great weekend, y ‘ all.

Here’s to a healthier you!