Young Girl Dies From Caffeine Overdose

Just last December, Anais Fournier, a 14-year-old girl from Maryland, died after drinking only two Monster energy drinks over the course of 24 hours. This incident has parents and researchers questioning whether energy drinks are safe for children.

Anais Fournier had a heart condition called mitral valve prolapse. In other words, one of her heart valves was malfunctioning. The National Institutes of Health reports that the condition is usually harmless under normal conditions. However, Anais went into cardiac arrest only a day after consuming two Monster energy drinks containing about 480 mg of caffeine. She died that same day from cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.

Fournier’s mother, Wendy Crossland, told the Record Herald “She was at the mall with her friends the night before and had a 24-ounce energy drink . . . She drank another one less than 24 hours later, even though she knew I do not allow them because I know they are bad for you. She went into cardiac arrest three hours later at home.”

According to The Huffington Post, the amount of caffeine that Fournier drank is equivalent to that found in 14 cans of Coca Cola and is almost five times the recommended caffeine limit announced by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Caffeine poisoning is not uncommon here in the United States. TODAY reported that cases of caffeine poisoning have increased over the last few years, from 1,128 in 2005 to 13,114 in 2009.

A recent study in the journal Pediatrics showed that anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent of teens and young adults consume energy drinks daily. Nearly half of the 5,448 reported caffeine overdoses in 2007 were in people younger than 19.