SAVANNAH, Ga. — Doctors are warning parents to keep an eye on their kids as emergency rooms are seeing a rise in young patients due to energy drink consumption.At Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, pediatric emergency medicine physician Dr. Alana Koehler said children as young as 10 are coming in with symptoms like chest pain, rapid heart rates, and anxiety after consuming energy drinks.

“We see kids coming in for chest pain and symptoms that are mimicking heart attacks or fast heart rates,” Koehler said. “It’s easy to drink two or three of those, and all of a sudden you’ve had 600 milligrams of caffeine for the day.”

Energy drinks, marketed with colorful cans, unique flavors, and influencer endorsements, are becoming a common part of kids’ diets. Koehler said the drinks’ sugary taste makes them appealing to children, but many don’t realize the high caffeine content. Some cans even hide caffeine information in hard-to-find areas on the label.

“In most energy drinks, it contains more caffeine than a cup of espresso. It’s a lot for our young kids,” Koehler said.

Common side effects include headaches, tremors, chest pain, anxiety, and sleep problems. Koehler also noted that some children experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit energy drinks. Beyond caffeine, she warned about taurine, another ingredient linked to heart rhythm issues.

“The other one I want parents to watch out for would be taurine,” Koehler said. “That one’s known to have cardiac rhythm problems associated with it and is in most of the energy drinks. That sensation that your heart is going to beat out of your chest can exacerbate or cause anxiety.”

Koehler emphasized that energy drinks are not a substitute for hydration and recommends water or sports drinks instead.

Parents are encouraged to educate their children about the potential dangers of energy drinks and monitor their consumption.