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Young children may face serious health risks from popular energy drinks, such as Monster, Red Bull and Rock Star, potentially causing seizures, heart problems and other life-threatening conditions, according to the findings of new research. More than 5,000 calls involving problems with energy drinks were received by Poison Control Centers in the United States between October 2010 and September 2013, with more than 40% of the calls involving children under the age of 6 who drank Monster or another similar product without realizing what it was. During a presentation at the annual Cardiac Scientific Sessions 2017 meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA), researchers warned about the risk of allowing young children access to the controversial energy drinks, which contain high amounts of caffeine and other stimulants. Researchers analyzed reports involving energy drink problems among children from the National Poison Data System, which compiles information on calls to 55 Poison Control Centers throughout the United States. About one-third of the calls involving children involved serious adverse events that required further treatment, including seizures, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and erratic heart rhythms. Nearly 60% of cases involved cardiovascular side effects, causing symptoms like abnormal heart rhythms and conduction abnormalities. According to data released by the FDA in 2017, at least six deaths have been linked to energy drinks, including at least two deaths of teens that resulted in wrongful death lawsuits against the makers of Monster. | 
