Although we know that the best drink for children (and for everyone) is water, it is normal for us to occasionally allow our children smoothies, packaged juices or soft drinks. But if we think about the health of the little ones, we should not make the exception a rule, and we should not allow frequent consumption of sugary sodas of any kind.
These drinks have been associated with aggressive behaviors, and also with depression and suicidal thoughts in adolescents, however the influence on younger children had not yet been evaluated. Now some evidence has been found that the more consumption of these soft drinks, increases the aggressiveness of children in their day to day.
There are also problems of concentration and difficulties in attending the explanations of the teachersThe study from which the data comes, is not able to identify the exact nature of the association between the consumption of soft drinks and problematic behaviors, but it has been concluded that limiting or eliminating it would reduce behavior problems.
Dr. Shakira Suglia, is an associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University; together with his colleagues, he has evaluated (approximately) 3,000 five-year-old children in 20 major cities in the United States. To carry out the study (published in The Journal of Pediatrics), we have had the collaboration of the mothers of the children.
They have been responsible for helping in the registry of drinks consumed by their children: 40 percent drank a can of soda a day (an amount that already seems excessive), and 4% came to consume four or more.
This is a prospective cohort study by year of birth, whose data has been collected for 60 months. To assess the behavior after consumption of these drinks, have used a list called Child Behavior Checklist, with specific indicators, and after applying them, verification has been requested from the mothers.
The research itself insists on not stigmatizing these drinks, but notes that its use must be very moderate. Because it is also known that they may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disorder or with the onset of type 2 diabetes.
