Boston Toddlers Are Addicted to Coffee

Bahstahn, does yah tahddlah have trouble waking up in the mahnin?

Befah yah know it, little Sean's gahnna be trading his tahnic fah cawfee and bangin' a U-ie up to Dunkies with yah, sayin, "Ma! Get me a lahge regulah!"

Yah suh, it's true. A new study by Boston Medical Center has found that 15 percent of Boston toddlers drink up to four ounces of coffee every day.

This is not wicked pissah.

"Our results show that many infants and toddlers in Boston—and perhaps in the United States—are being given coffee and that this could be associated with cultural practices," said Anne Merewood, the lead author of the study, in a statement.

As reported by the Boston Globe, when investigators began interviewing 315 local mothers about their children's weight and diets, they were shocked to find coffee listed among the beverages they regularly consume. And it had nothing to with coffee in breast milk, either.

Rates of coffee consumption among Beantown moppets did vary across different demographic categories. Children of Hispanic mothers and female infants in general were more likely than others to drink coffee.

The study authors notes that it's not uncommon for very young children in Cambodia, Australia, and Ethiopia to drink coffee—though the researchers didn't investigate why Boston moms have chosen to caffeinate their toddlers.

Still, the study authors are concerned. "Given what the current data shows about the effects of coffee consumption among children and adolescents, additional research is needed to better determine the potential short and long-term health implications of coffee consumption among this younger age group in Hispanic and other populations," said Merewood.

So listen up, chowdaheads: Stahp givin little Briana and Kevin cawfee-flayvahed frappés and stick to Kelly's roast beef and b'dayduhs instead.

And go Bruins.