Is Your Child Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Is Your Child Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient which is required for the proper and healthy functioning of the body. And still, Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem seen today in growing children and toddlers.

Deficiency of vitamin D can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. It is caused due to less exposure to sun and improper intake of vitamin D in diet. Therefore, to ensure that your kid is safe from anything that can cause harm to him, you should be equipped with all the required knowledge regarding Vitamin D.

Symptoms

Children with vitamin D deficiency may have these following symptoms:

Soft bones – Vitamin D helps in absorption of calcium in bones. Improper intake may lead to soft and bendy bones which may further lead to deformities.

Frequent aches– If your child complains of body pain and weakness more often and may have joint tenderness, don’t ignore it. Consult a paediatrician at the earliest.

Delayed motor development– Vitamin D deficiency in toddlers may show developmental delays like non eruption of teeth and delay in standing and walking.

Prone to fractures– Children with Vitamin D deficiency are more likely to have a fracture at the slightest accident.

Sources

Sun is the major source of vitamin D and that’s the very reason it is also known as the sunshine vitamin. About 95% of body requirement of Vitamin D is fulfilled by sun. So, you can take your child to walks in the morning sun. Avoid it in the afternoon as the sun beams are strong and might cause irritation to your baby’s skin.

If your child’s diet has enough fatty foods, dairy products, cereals, cheese, and egg yolks, you have already taken a crucial step to save him from Vitamin D deficiency.

In severe cases of vitamin D deficiency, doctors may prescribe vitamin D capsules or Injections. You should take your child to a child specialist if you think that natural sources aren’t working for him/her.

Prevention

This deficiency can be easily prevented by maintaining a healthy diet and playing in the morning sun every day.

Also, you should avoid excessive use of sunscreen as it reflects the sun rays back and shuns the absorption of sunlight.

About Bansal Global Hospital
A world class private hospital located in North-West Delhi, the Bansal Global Hospital offers the best treatment possible and care to its patients round the clock (24×7). The multi-specialty Bansal Global Hospital provides specialist medical and surgical care ranging from simple day-case procedures to complex surgeries, blood and other tests in our state of the art pathology lab, digital X-rays, inpatient facilities. The hospital has dedicated inpatient facility, with all fully air-conditioned ensuite rooms. Our staff offer high quality services to ensure that your stay with us is as comfortable as possible in private and discrete facilities.

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